The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability was not incurred in service and is not otherwise due to service.,Prior to November 3, 2015, the Veteran's DJD of the lumbar spine did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 20 percent. As of November 3, 2015, his condition has not met the criteria for a rating in excess of 40 percent.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability was not shown to have had its onset during service or within one year following discharge, and there is no evidence of continuity of symptoms since separation from service. The Veteran denied having hearing loss at his separation examination in 1986.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss disability, degenerative joint disease (DJD) of the lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 18, 2017
- Citation
- 1758490
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 1758490.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and an initial disability rating in excess of 20 percent prior to March 2, 2017, and in excess of 40 percent thereafter for degenerative joint disease (DJD) of the lumbar spine. The evidence did not establish a nexus between current hearing loss or DJD of the lumbar spine and service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but has remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability due to inadequate examination and reasoning.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, finding that there is no credible evidence linking these conditions to his active service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus due to errors in providing notice of his right to a pre-decisional hearing.
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