The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated as noncompensable, and no higher rating is warranted.,For the period from February 10, 2016 through October 10, 2017, the Veteran was granted a 40 percent rating for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine. Since then, his disability has not warranted an increased rating.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not show that the Veteran's service-connected conditions have resulted in any additional impairment beyond what is contemplated by the current ratings.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Degenerative Arthritis of the Lumbar Spine, Right Lower Extremity Radiculopathy, Left Lower Extremity Radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- February 3, 2021
- Citation
- 21006321
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 21006321.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The issue remains under direct service connection theory.
- Denied
The Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 30 percent, the highest non-compensable rating available. The Board found that his hearing loss did not warrant a higher rating based on VA examinations and medical records.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current hearing loss and his active service. The Board noted that while he had complaints of earaches in service, these did not indicate a current disability.
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