The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied. The Board also found that the criteria for a rating in excess of 20 percent for lumbar DDD from August 27, 2007 are not met and that the criteria for a rating in excess of 40 percent since July 23, 2013 are not met. The Board also found that an extraschedular evaluation based on the cumulative impact of service-connected PTSD and DJD with PFS of each knee is precluded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's hearing loss in both ears was first demonstrated many years after active service and is not related to any disease, injury, or incident of service. The criteria for a rating in excess of 20 percent for lumbar DDD from August 27, 2007 are not met as the evidence does not show limitation of thoracolumbar flexion of 30 degrees or less and no ankylosis. Since July 23, 2013, the Veteran has had thoracolumbar flexion limited to 30 degrees but no ankylosis. An extraschedular evaluation based on the cumulative impact of service-connected PTSD and DJD with PFS of each knee is precluded.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 22, 2018
- Citation
- 1811459
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 1811459.
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.
- 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim, specifically needing an addendum opinion from a VA examiner. The Veteran will be asked to provide any missing records and former employers' information.
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