The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and increased rating for arthritis of the right wrist were denied. The effective date for service connection was set at February 22, 2020.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not show that the Veteran met the auditory threshold requirements for service connection prior to February 22, 2020, and his symptoms of hearing loss were first confirmed on a VA examination conducted in February 2020.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Arthritis of the Right Wrist
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- December 29, 2020
- Citation
- 20081317
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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