The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and TDIU were denied. The decision found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss did not warrant a compensable rating, while his low back strain with degenerative changes was rated at 20 percent from May 1, 2007. The Veteran's claim for TDIU prior to November 6, 2013, was also denied.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations provided sufficient evidence to determine that the Veteran’s hearing loss did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating and his low back strain with degenerative changes was rated appropriately at 20 percent from May 1, 2007. The TDIU claim prior to November 6, 2013, was denied as there was no evidence showing he was unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Low Back Strain with Degenerative Changes
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 21, 2020
- Citation
- 20048587
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 20048587.
What this means for you
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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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