The Veteran's kidney disease and COPD were not incurred or aggravated by service, as there is no evidence of a nexus between the conditions and in-service exposure. The Board found that the preponderance of the evidence was against these claims.,For bilateral hearing loss prior to September 19, 2019, the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating. Since September 19, 2019, his most severe hearing loss disability picture revealed Level IV and X hearing loss in both ears, which does not warrant a higher rating.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners provided opinions that there was no medical evidence linking the Veteran's kidney disease or COPD to service. The Board found these opinions credible as they were based on a review of the claims file and the Veteran's self-reported history.,For bilateral hearing loss, the preponderance of the evidence showed that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating prior to September 19, 2019. Since then, his most severe hearing loss disability picture did not warrant a higher rating.
- Claimed conditions
- kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 28, 2022
- Citation
- 22004744
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 22004744.
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- Remanded (sent back)
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