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Denied

The Board denied the Veteran's applications to reopen claims for service connection for loss of strength in the right hand, right ear hearing loss, and a cervical spine disability. The claim for loss of strength in the right hand was denied because no new and material evidence was submitted within one year of the denial. The claim for right ear hearing loss was reopened due to new evidence attributing the hearing loss to service exposure. However, the Veteran does not meet the criteria for a hearing loss disability under VA regulations. The cervical spine disability claim was denied as there is insufficient evidence linking the condition to service.

The deciding factor: The preponderance of the evidence did not establish that any of the conditions were incurred or aggravated by service.

Claimed conditions
loss of strength in the right hand, right ear hearing loss, cervical spine disability (claimed as neck stiffness)
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating assigned
None in this decision
Decision date
August 25, 2020
Citation
20056112

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 20056112.

What this means for you

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