The Veteran's lumbar spine disability was granted a higher rating of 20 percent effective October 7, 2013. Service connection for left ankle disorder, diabetes mellitus, and bilateral hearing loss were all granted.
The deciding factor: New evidence supported the reopening of service connection claims for left ankle disorder, diabetes mellitus, and bilateral hearing loss, with a diagnosis provided by a VA physician in Iraq indicating that the Veteran's ankle disorder was due to the rocky terrain he walked on daily during his third period of active duty service.
- Claimed conditions
- Lumbar spine disability, Left ankle disorder (tendinitis), Diabetes mellitus, Bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- August 21, 2017
- Citation
- 1734095
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 1734095.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
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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