The Veteran's hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, and no increased rating is warranted.,Hypertension has not been shown to meet the criteria for a higher than 10 percent evaluation. The Veteran does not have diastolic pressure predominantly 110 or more, or systolic pressure predominantly 200 or more.,Diabetes mellitus type II currently rated as 20 percent disabling; no increased rating is warranted based on the current evidence of record.,Left shoulder impingement syndrome with arthritis post-arthroscopy has been increased to a 20 percent evaluation effective December 6, 2017. No further increase in rating is warranted at this time.,Cervical spine arthritis has been increased to a 10 percent evaluation effective December 6, 2017. No further increase in rating is warranted at this time.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable disability rating based on audiometric testing results.,The Veteran’s hypertension does not meet the criteria for a higher than 10 percent evaluation as his diastolic pressure is not predominantly 110 or more, and systolic pressure is not predominantly 200 or more.,Diabetes mellitus type II currently rated at 20 percent does not meet the criteria for an increased rating based on current evidence of record. The Veteran’s diabetes is treated with oral hypoglycemic agents and a restricted diet.,The Veteran's left shoulder impingement syndrome with arthritis post-arthroscopy has been rated as 20 percent disabling since December 6, 2017. No further increase in rating is warranted based on the current evidence of record.,Cervical spine arthritis has been rated as 10 percent disabling since December 6, 2017. No further increase in rating is warranted based on the current evidence of record.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Cervical Spine Arthritis, Diabetes Mellitus Type II, Hypertension, Left Shoulder Impingement Syndrome with Arthritis Post-Arthroscopy
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 29, 2019
- Citation
- 19167323
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,886 · Granted: 24% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19167323.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for hypertension, finding that it did not manifest during service and is not causally related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicides or service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The issue remains under direct service connection theory.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and active duty service or herbicide exposure.
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