The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied. The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for residuals of a right index finger fracture was granted with a 10% rating effective January 4, 2014.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not have a diagnosed hearing loss disability in either ear and his service treatment records showed no evidence of hearing loss. For the right index finger fracture, VA examinations confirmed arthritis (confirmed by X-ray) with evidence of painful motion during flare-ups.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, residuals of right index finger fracture
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- December 18, 2015
- Citation
- 1552970
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 1552970.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim, specifically needing an addendum opinion from a VA examiner. The Veteran will be asked to provide any missing records and former employers' information.
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