The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his low back strain and bilateral hearing loss, as well as service connection for ischemic heart disease. The evidence did not show entitlement to a higher rating for either condition.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not demonstrate unfavorable ankylosis of the thoracolumbar spine or entire spine, nor did it show incapacitating episodes due to IVDS that required bed rest prescribed by a physician and treatment by a physician. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was found to be non-compensable.
- Claimed conditions
- strain with degenerative joint disease (DJD) of the lumbar spine, bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 3, 2018
- Citation
- 1819469
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 1819469.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
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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