The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and lumbar spine and left hip disabilities, finding that the Veteran did not have a current diagnosis of these conditions at any point during or prior to the pendency of his claims. The Board also found that there was no evidence linking these disabilities to service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's STRs do not show any complaints, treatment, or diagnoses related to bilateral hearing loss, lumbar spine disability, or left hip disability. Additionally, there is insufficient medical evidence to establish a link between the claimed conditions and his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Lumbar Spine Disability (claimed as secondary to service-connected right knee disability), Left Hip Disability (claimed as secondary to service-connected right knee disability)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 13, 2016
- Citation
- 1601387
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 1601387.
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.
- 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The issue remains under direct service connection theory.
- Denied
The Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 30 percent, the highest non-compensable rating available. The Board found that his hearing loss did not warrant a higher rating based on VA examinations and medical records.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current hearing loss and his active service. The Board noted that while he had complaints of earaches in service, these did not indicate a current disability.
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