The Veteran's DDD of the cervical spine was granted a 20% rating effective February 28, 2018. The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine was granted a 20% rating effective November 2, 2017. However, his hearing loss and TDIU claims were not resolved.
The deciding factor: The Veteran’s DDD of the cervical spine improved with forward flexion from 45 to 25 degrees during flare-ups, while his degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine worsened with a reduced range of motion. The Veteran's hearing loss did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) of the Cervical Spine, Degenerative Arthritis of the Lumbar Spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- October 13, 2020
- Citation
- 20066198
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD, entitlement to TDIU, and SMC based on housebound status.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for asbestosis, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), rhinitis, sinusitis, and asthma. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was also denied a compensable rating.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various disabilities and denied higher ratings for several service-connected conditions.
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