The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for carpal tunnel syndrome, increased ratings for degenerative joint disease of the right knee and lumbar spine, and a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran was assigned a 20% disability rating for his degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support an increase in disability ratings beyond the current 20% for the Veteran's degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, and denied service connection for carpal tunnel syndrome and a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss.
- Claimed conditions
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Degenerative Joint Disease of Right Knee, Degenerative Joint Disease of Lumbar Spine, Bilateral Hearing Loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- April 30, 2019
- Citation
- 19133680
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD, entitlement to TDIU, and SMC based on housebound status.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for asbestosis, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), rhinitis, sinusitis, and asthma. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was also denied a compensable rating.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various disabilities and denied higher ratings for several service-connected conditions.
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