The Board denied entitlement to an evaluation greater than 10 percent for gastroesophageal reflux disease and a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss prior to October 15, 2021 and an evaluation greater than 20 percent thereafter.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support the Veteran's claims as it was persuasively against finding that his conditions manifested in symptoms severe enough to warrant higher ratings.
- Claimed conditions
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease, Bilateral hearing loss, Right knee instability, Left knee instability, Right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, Left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 27, 2025
- Citation
- 25007164
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board granted earlier effective dates of November 5, 2021, for the grants of service connection and eligibility for DEA benefits.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a separate 10 percent rating for right knee instability but denied an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for degenerative arthritis of the right knee.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, as there was no evidence of a current disability in the right ear and insufficient evidence to establish a nexus between the left ear hearing loss and service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter for a medical clarification regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected epilepsy has aggravated his bilateral hearing loss.
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