The Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral tinnitus has been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal request.,The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a skin disorder, claimed as a wart like growth, has been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal request.,A 10 percent rating is granted for the right knee disability, effective from April 26, 2013.,Service connection for a left knee disorder secondary to the service-connected right knee disability is remanded.,Service connection for a lumbar spine disorder secondary to the service-connected right knee disability is remanded.,The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran requested withdrawal of his appeals regarding the rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral tinnitus and service connection for a skin disorder, claimed as a wart like growth, prior to the Board's decision.,Throughout the pendency of this claim, the Veteran’s right knee disorder has been manifested by pain with x-rays confirming the presence of arthritis. The Veteran is not limited in his ability to flex or extend his leg and does not have instability or limited extension.,The Veteran reported experiencing occasional pain and difficulty ambulating due to the right knee pain. He also confirmed that he uses over-the-counter medications for the pain and does not see a physician for it.,The Veteran's private clinical records show reports of chronic back pain, but no opinion has been sought as to the nature or etiology of any lumbar spine disorder.,The Veteran’s service treatment records show hearing loss in both ears at entry into service. The Veteran recognizes this and contends that his hearing loss was aggravated by his active service.,A March 2014 VA examiner recognized the audiological findings shown at the time of the Veteran's induction examination and also recognized the hearing threshold shift documented at service separation, but characterized this change as not significant.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral tinnitus, skin disorder (wart like growth), right knee disability, left knee disorder, lumbar spine disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- October 1, 2019
- Citation
- 19175901
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,020 · Granted: 19% (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 19175901.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess his bilateral knee and hip disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and providing proper notice regarding secondary service connection.
- Partly granted
The Board has not made a final determination on the claims of service connection for inguinal hernia, PTSD, joint pain, fibromyalgia, left knee disability, right knee disability, tinnitus, chronic fatigue syndrome, respiratory disability, sleep disorder, IBS, and headaches. The claims are remanded to obtain additional evidence and determine if these conditions are related to service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various hip and lower extremity disorders, including as secondary to a lumbar spine disorder. The case is being returned to the AOJ for further action.
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