The Veteran's appeals for compensable evaluations of scars and service connection for various conditions have been dismissed. The claims for bilateral hearing loss, arthritis of the left arm (secondary to service-connected scars), arthritis of the left hand, arthritis of the left upper thigh, and arthritis of the right leg have been reopened.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not appeal the initial decisions denying these claims within one year, nor was new and material evidence received within a year. New evidence has now been submitted that relates to unestablished facts necessary to substantiate the claims for service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Arthritis of Left Arm (secondary to service-connected scars, left arm), Arthritis of Left Hand (secondary to service-connected scars, left arm), Arthritis of Left Upper Thigh (secondary to service-connected scar, left upper thigh), Arthritis of Right Leg (secondary to service-connected scars, right leg)
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 25, 2022
- Citation
- 22054611
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 22054611.
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
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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