The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, osteoarthritis of the right index finger, and tinea pedis with onychomycosis have been granted. The claim for pseudofolliculitis barbae was denied.,Service connection has been established for these conditions based on direct evidence.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service treatment records documented his right index finger injury, and he provided credible lay testimony about the onset of hearing loss symptoms in service. The Board found that the evidence is evenly balanced as to whether the current bilateral hearing loss is related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, osteoarthritis, right index finger (claimed as right-hand pointer finger disability), tinea pedis with onychomycosis (toenail fungus), pseudofolliculitis barbae, lumbar spine facet disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 3, 2020
- Citation
- 20058377
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 20058377.
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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