The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was reopened, and he is now granted initial disability ratings for his lumbar spine condition, right knee strain, left knee strain, and TDIU.
The deciding factor: New evidence submitted by the Veteran established that he had a current disability (bilateral hearing loss) and in-service noise exposure. The Board found this new evidence sufficient to reopen the claim and grant initial ratings for his lumbar spine condition, right knee strain, left knee strain, and TDIU.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, degenerative disc disease of lumbar spine, intervertebral disc syndrome, and facet joint arthritis, radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, right knee strain, patellofemoral pain syndrome, and patellofemoral arthritis, left knee strain, patellofemoral pain syndrome, and patellofemoral arthritis
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- July 20, 2020
- Citation
- 20048380
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 20048380.
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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