The Veteran's claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss, right ear hearing loss, tinnitus, and lumbar spine disability have been denied. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a finding of current disabilities or a causal relationship between service and these conditions.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's current hearing loss is less likely as not due to military noise exposure, based on his separation audiogram which indicated he passed his hearing examination. The lumbar spine disability was attributed to separate disease processes progressing naturally rather than service.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Ear Hearing Loss, Lumbar Spine Disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 9, 2016
- Citation
- 1635430
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 1635430.
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 Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for right ear hearing loss and a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence to support these claims based on in-service noise exposure or other theories.
- Denied
The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated as noncompensable prior to August 19, 2024 and at a 20% rating since that date.,The Veteran's depressive disorder is rated as 30% prior to December 1, 2022 and at a 40% rating since that date.,The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated as 20% prior to December 1, 2022 and at a 40% rating since that date.,The Veteran's left lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy is rated as 10% prior to August 3, 2024 and at a 20% rating since that date.,The Veteran's right lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy is rated as 10% prior to August 3, 2024 and at a 20% rating since that date.,The Veteran's left lower extremity femoral nerve radiculopathy is rated as 20% since August 3, 2024.,The Veteran's right ankle disability is rated as 10% prior to August 27, 2024 and at a 20% rating since that date.
- Granted
The Veteran was granted a TDIU with a September 19, 2024 effective date based on his PTSD, emphysema, and COPD symptoms. His diabetes, tinnitus, and left ear hearing loss were not found to prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to March 19, 2024.
- Denied
The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 40 percent, and his left and right foot disabilities are each rated at 10 percent. The appeals for increased ratings have been denied.
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