The Veteran's left and right knee disabilities are granted as secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine disability. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim is denied due to lack of current diagnosis. The Veteran's radiculopathy of the right upper extremity and cervical spinal stenosis with cervical fusion claims are denied.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the Veteran's right knee strain and left knee strain were proximately due to or the result of his service-connected lumbar spine disability, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran. The Veteran did not have a current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss for VA purposes. The radiculopathy was characterized as moderate incomplete paralysis, and cervical spinal stenosis with cervical fusion did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under applicable diagnostic codes.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Knee Disability, Right Knee Disability, Bilateral Hearing Loss, Radiculopathy of the Right Upper Extremity, Cervical Spinal Stenosis with Cervical Fusion
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 10, 2024
- Citation
- A24037005
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 A24037005.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities are rated at 10% each, and the Board finds that higher ratings are not warranted based on the evidence of record.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities are not related to his active service, and thus denied both claims for service connection.
- 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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right knee disability, finding that there is no evidence to support an etiological relationship between his current condition and his military service.
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