The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, and the Board denied an initial compensable rating.,The Veteran's service-connected tinea pedis was also rated as noncompensable, and the Board denied a higher rating.,For degenerative joint disease of the left first metacarpal, the Veteran is not entitled to a disability rating in excess of 10 percent.,Regarding hypertension, the Veteran does not have service connection for this condition.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not show that the Veteran's hearing loss had worsened since his last VA examination and he failed to report for scheduled examinations. The current severity of his bilateral sensorineural hearing loss is rated as noncompensable under the applicable rating criteria.,The Veteran’s tinea pedis was evaluated based on topical therapy, which did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under either the old or new General Rating Formula for the Skin. His condition was rated as noncompensable.,For degenerative joint disease of the left first metacarpal, the evidence showed that it did not meet the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent under the applicable rating criteria.,The Veteran's hypertension does not have service connection and there is no evidence showing that his condition was related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Sensorineural Hearing Loss, Bilateral Tinea Pedis, Degenerative Joint Disease of the Left First Metacarpal, Hypertension
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 21, 2020
- Citation
- 20027743
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 20027743.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- 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.
- 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.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for hypertension and has remanded the issue of an increased rating for skin condition.
- Granted
The Board has restored the Veteran's 10% rating for hypertension effective December 1, 2025 and denied a rating in excess of 10%. The reduction from 10% to noncompensable was not proper.
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