The Veteran's initial claim for service connection for hearing loss was received on September 27, 2017. A compensable rating (zero percent) is denied.,A separate 10 percent rating for left knee instability from September 27, 2017, is granted.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's hearing loss was manifested by a Maryland CNC speech recognition score of 74% in the right ear and 100% in the left ear, resulting in Level IV hearing acuity. The exceptional pattern of hearing impairment under 38 C.F.R. § 4.86 did not apply.,The Veteran's left knee osteoarthritis was manifested by flexion limited to 120 degrees and on repetitive use decreased to 100 degrees, resulting in a separate 10 percent rating for instability from September 27, 2017.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Left Knee Osteoarthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- January 29, 2020
- Citation
- 20006857
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,062 · Granted: 34% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 20006857.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
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.
- 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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