The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and initial disability ratings in excess of 60 percent for left knee degenerative joint disease status post total knee replacement, finding no evidence to support a nexus between his current disabilities and his active military service. The Veteran's scars were also not found to warrant an increased rating.
The deciding factor: The VA audiologist concluded that the Veteran's hearing loss is more likely due to post-service noise exposure rather than in-service acoustic trauma, while the VA examiner for the knee noted that the Veteran's current disability is related to his history of muscle atrophy and antalgic gait secondary to a shell fragment injury.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral hearing loss, Left thigh - shell fragment wound with degenerative joint disease (left knee)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 30, 2016
- Citation
- 1612844
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 1612844.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a low back disorder was reopened, and his claims for increased ratings of bilateral knee instability were granted. His hearing loss claim was denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeals of the initial ratings for his service-connected chronic cough and bilateral hearing loss are remanded due to procedural errors in the evidentiary record.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral pes planus with hammer toes, hallux valgus and degenerative arthritis, sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and bilateral kidney cysts, rendered him unable to secure or follow gainful employment. The Board granted the TDIU based on these conditions.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus) do not prevent him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment.
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