The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 20 percent, but does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,The Veteran's tinnitus is assigned the maximum schedular evaluation of 10 percent under Diagnostic Code (DC) 6260.,The Veteran's left inguinal hernia repair does not more nearly approximate a post-operative recurrent inguinal hernia, readily reducible and well supported by a truss or belt, warranting a compensable rating.,The Veteran's posterior trunk scar, post lumbar surgery, and anterior trunk scar, status post hernia repair do not meet the criteria for an initial compensable rating under DC 7802 due to their size and nature.,No effective date provided as this is a denial of claims.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a higher than 20 percent rating based on audiometric test results, which do not show impairment at levels that would warrant such an increase. The Veteran’s tinnitus is rated as the maximum allowed under DC 6260.,The Veteran's left inguinal hernia repair does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating due to lack of evidence of post-operative recurrent hernia, readily reducible and well supported by a truss or belt. The posterior trunk scar and anterior trunk scar do not meet the size requirement for a 10 percent rating under DC 7802.,The Veteran's service connection claims for dental condition and hypertension were previously denied as final due to lack of appeal, so they are not addressed in this decision.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, Left Inguinal Hernia Repair, Posterior Trunk Scar (post lumbar surgery), Anterior Trunk Scar (status post hernia repair)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 15, 2024
- Citation
- A24065849
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 785 · Granted: 47% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 A24065849.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- 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.
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