The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied as he does not have a current diagnosis of the disability. For his IVDS and thoracolumbar DJD, the Board finds that the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent are not met.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not provide evidence of a current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss at any time pertinent to the pendency of his claim, and there is no probative evidence indicating he has such disability. For IVDS and thoracolumbar DJD, the Board found that the criteria for a higher rating are not met as the Veteran's range of motion did not meet the requirements for a 20 percent rating under the General Rating Formula.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Intervertebral Disc Syndrome (IVDS) and Thoracolumbar Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 16, 2022
- Citation
- A22023229
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 A22023229.
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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