The Veteran's service connection for a back disability is granted. The rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to September 11, 2018 is denied and a 10% rating is granted from that date. The issue of TDIU prior to June 6, 2019 remains pending.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's back disability was found to be related to service due to the nature of his duties as a soldier carrying heavy equipment. For hearing loss, the evidence showed no improvement from previous examinations and the current examination results warranted a 10% rating. The TDIU claim is pending as it could be impacted by the assignment of a new disability rating.
- Claimed conditions
- back disability, bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- February 10, 2022
- Citation
- 22007920
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 22007920.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
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 decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim, specifically needing an addendum opinion from a VA examiner. The Veteran will be asked to provide any missing records and former employers' information.
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