The Veteran's service-connected left inguinal hernia residuals do not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.,The Veteran’s hernia scar does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under VA regulations.,Service connection was denied for bilateral shoulder, elbow, hip, and knee disorders due to lack of evidence supporting their existence or causation by service.,Service connection was denied for left ear hearing loss as there is no evidence of current disability meeting VA's definition of hearing loss.,Service connection was denied for tinnitus as the Veteran did not report having it during his STRs and medical records.
The deciding factor: The residuals from a left inguinal hernia do not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under Diagnostic Code 7338, as they are not recurrent or well-supported by truss or belt.,The Veteran's hernia scar does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under Diagnostic Codes 7801-05 due to lack of deepness, instability, or pain.,There is no evidence of chronic bilateral shoulder, elbow, hip, and knee disorders during service or within one year after separation from service. The Veteran's current symptoms do not meet the criteria for a diagnosis of these conditions.,The Veteran does not have hearing loss that meets VA’s definition under 38 C.F.R. § 3.385.,There is no evidence of tinnitus during service or within one year after separation from service, and the Veteran did not report having it in his STRs.
- Claimed conditions
- Left inguinal hernia, Hernia scar, Bilateral shoulder disorder (left and right), Bilateral elbow disorder (left and right), Bilateral hip disorder (left and right), Bilateral knee disorder (left and right), Left ear hearing loss, Tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 12, 2020
- Citation
- 20040398
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 20040398.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a higher rating for PTSD and dismissed his appeals regarding increased ratings for tinnitus and a right hand disability due to lack of timely filing of Notice of Disagreement.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including GAD, MDD, bruxism, migraines/headaches, tinnitus, hip pain, iliotibial band syndrome, and leg stress fractures. The evidence does not support current diagnoses of these conditions during the appeal period.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral pes planus with hammer toes, hallux valgus and degenerative arthritis, sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and bilateral kidney cysts, rendered him unable to secure or follow gainful employment. The Board granted the TDIU based on these conditions.
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