The Board has decided that the Veteran does not have a bilateral hearing loss disability for VA purposes and denied service connection for this condition. The issues of an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for DDD of the lumbar spine L5-S1 and an initial compensable rating for patellofemoral syndrome of the right knee are remanded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's auditory thresholds did not exceed 25 decibels, and speech recognition scores were within normal limits. The Board found that none of the Veteran’s private or VA treatment records showed hearing loss meeting VA's definition of a disability at any time during the appeal period.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, DDD of the lumbar spine L5-S1, patellofemoral syndrome of the right knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 25, 2019
- Citation
- 19148992
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
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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