The Veteran's hepatitis C and bilateral hearing loss were denied. The Board found that the current ratings for both conditions did not accurately reflect their severity.
The deciding factor: The evidence showed no significant symptoms or functional impairment related to the Veteran's hepatitis C, except intermittent right lower abdominal pain. For his bilateral hearing loss, the most recent VA examination in October 2019 yielded a Level VII designation, resulting in a 30% rating effective October 19, 2019.
- Claimed conditions
- Hepatitis C, Bilateral Hearing Loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- October 21, 2020
- Citation
- 20068278
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
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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