The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, respiratory disability (emphysema), cardiac disability (calcified coronary artery disease), gastrointestinal disability (GERD, achalasia, and esophageal stricture), degenerative disc disease and degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, and radiculopathy of the left lower extremity. The Board also denied a request to revise or reverse an April 1991 rating decision that denied service connection for headaches.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of evidence did not support finding that any of these disabilities began during service or were otherwise related to in-service injury, event, or disease.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Respiratory Disability (Emphysema), Cardiac Disability (Calcified Coronary Artery Disease), Gastrointestinal Disability (GERD, Achalasia, and Esophageal Stricture), Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) and Degenerative Joint Disease (DDJD) of the Lumbar Spine, Radiculopathy of the Right Lower Extremity (Sciatic Nerve), Radiculopathy of the Left Lower Extremity (Sciatic Nerve)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 5, 2019
- Citation
- 19168600
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 19168600.
What this means for you
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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.
- 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 Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 30 percent, the highest non-compensable rating available. The Board found that his hearing loss did not warrant a higher rating based on VA examinations and medical records.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current hearing loss and his active service. The Board noted that while he had complaints of earaches in service, these did not indicate a current disability.
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