The Veteran's service connection claims for left hand surgical scarring, cervical spine arthritis, and bilateral hearing loss have been granted. The rating for left hand surgical scarring remains at 10%. The rating for cervical spine arthritis has been increased to 10%. Bilateral hearing loss is now considered a service-connected disability.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's claims were reopened on new evidence, which established that he had continuous symptoms of bilateral hearing loss since service separation. As such, the claim was granted under the provisions of 38 C.F.R. § 3.303(b).
- Claimed conditions
- left hand surgical scarring, cervical spine arthritis, bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- February 21, 2020
- Citation
- 20013347
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 20013347.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim, specifically needing an addendum opinion from a VA examiner. The Veteran will be asked to provide any missing records and former employers' information.
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