Service connection for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity is denied.,Initial increased ratings for a left ankle disability and spine disability are dismissed.,Entitlement to an effective date earlier than July 16, 2015, for the grant of entitlement to a TDIU is denied.,Entitlement to an effective date earlier than July 16, 2015, for the grant of DEA benefits under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 35 is denied.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of the evidence is against the claim for service connection for right lower extremity radiculopathy due to lack of a current diagnosis and insufficient medical opinion.,The claims for initial increased ratings for left ankle disability and spine disability were withdrawn by the Veteran through his attorney's statement, thus dismissing these issues.,The criteria for a rating higher than 50 percent for bilateral hearing loss have not been met based on the evidence of record.,The criteria for an effective date earlier than July 16, 2015, for the grant of entitlement to TDIU and DEA benefits under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 35 are not satisfied.
- Claimed conditions
- radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, left ankle disability, spine disability, bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- May 30, 2018
- Citation
- 18106365
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 18106365.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has expanded the scope of the claim to include any mental health disorder raised by the record and has remanded for additional development regarding service connection for left leg, ankle, and psychiatric disabilities.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
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