The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was reopened due to new evidence submitted since the April 2014 rating decision. The effective date of his allergic rhinitis service connection is set at November 18, 2016.,The Veteran's initial compensable rating for allergic rhinitis prior to October 24, 2018 was denied as there were no objective indications of nasal obstruction or polyps. A 30 percent rating effective from October 24, 2018 is granted based on the development of nasal polyps.,Service connection for a bone and joint condition due to undiagnosed illness is not established, while service connection for bilateral hip condition, respiratory condition, hearing loss, GERD, and headaches are all determined by direct evidence.
The deciding factor: The new evidence submitted since the April 2014 rating decision includes the Veteran's January 2020 hearing testimony and updated VA examination performed in December 2016. This evidence relates to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim for service connection for hearing loss.,Prior to October 24, 2018, there was no indication of nasal obstruction or polyps. The development of nasal polyps since October 24, 2018 meets the criteria for a 30 percent disability rating under DC 6522.,The Veteran's service connection claims are based on direct evidence from his medical history and examination findings.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, allergic rhinitis, joint and bone condition, bilateral hip condition, respiratory condition, acid reflux and/or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), headaches
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 23, 2020
- Citation
- 20062714
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 20062714.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
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.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's headaches are at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected traumatic brain injury, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- 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.
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