The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 10 percent prior to July 2, 2019 and at 30 percent thereafter. The Board finds no basis for a higher rating in either period.,The Veteran's degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine is currently rated at 20 percent prior to June 24, 2019 and at 40 percent thereafter. The Board finds no basis for a higher rating in either period.,TDIU has been remanded as the Veteran indicated he could not work due to his service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not support a finding of exceptional hearing loss or an exceptional pattern of hearing loss, which would warrant a higher rating under VA regulations. The current ratings are based on the average puretone thresholds and speech recognition scores.,The Veteran's degenerative joint disease is currently rated at 20 percent prior to June 24, 2019 and at 40 percent thereafter. There is no evidence of an exceptional pattern of hearing loss or other factors that would warrant a higher rating under VA regulations.,TDIU has been remanded as the Veteran indicated he could not work due to his service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 21, 2021
- Citation
- 21023580
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 21023580.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development of records and will provide a supplemental statement of the case if necessary.
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