The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and entitlement to an increased rating for arthritis of the left knee from August 29, 2013 to June 25, 2015. The Board found that there was no evidence linking the current disabilities to service or in-service noise exposure.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is not related to his military service and that his arthritis of the left knee does not meet the criteria for ankylosis, which would allow for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 5256. The Board also noted that there was no evidence of chronic residuals from the arthritis.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, arthritis of the left knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 29, 2019
- Citation
- 19106679
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 withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Partly granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted, while fibromyalgia, internal or external hemorrhoids, bilateral hearing loss, and neuropathy are denied.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding it at least as likely as not related to the Veteran's in-service noise exposure.
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