The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated at zero percent, as the VA examiner found that his hearing acuity did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.,The Veteran's service-connected scars of the right lower extremity are currently rated at zero percent. The VA examiner determined they do not warrant a higher rating due to lack of underlying soft tissue damage and no functional impact.
The deciding factor: The Veteran’s hearing loss did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating as his speech recognition ability was within normal limits, and his average pure tone threshold was below the level required for a compensable rating.,The scars of the right lower extremity were not associated with underlying soft tissue damage or instability/pain, thus they do not warrant a higher rating.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Scars of the Right Lower Extremity, Residuals of a Stroke (including Transient Ischemic Attack)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 21, 2020
- Citation
- 20068312
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
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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