The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating prior to January 7, 2014, and a rating in excess of 20 percent thereafter for bilateral hearing loss is considered 'unknown' as the appeal does not specify this issue. The Veteran's claims for service connection for duodenal ulcer (claimed as bleeding ulcers) and loss of balance from Meniere's syndrome are both granted. However, his claim for a left knee disability is not applicable as it was not raised in the appeal.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not raise the issue of a compensable rating prior to January 7, 2014, and a rating in excess of 20 percent thereafter for bilateral hearing loss. The Board considers this 'unknown' based on the lack of specification in the appeal.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Fracture of the Fifth Metacarpal, Left Hand, Loss of Balance from Meniere's Syndrome, Left Knee Disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 18, 2015
- Citation
- 1552956
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 1552956.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities are rated at 10% each, and the Board finds that higher ratings are not warranted based on the evidence of record.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities are not related to his active service, and thus denied both claims for service connection.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Denied
The Veteran's left knee disability is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board finds no evidence of clear and unmistakable error in assigning an effective date of June 19, 2002.
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