The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and non-compensable ratings for shin splints, right leg, left leg, and TBI. However, it granted restoration of a 20 percent disability rating for lumbosacral strain effective June 1, 2023, and remanded claims for service connection for tinnitus, right ankle strain, left ankle strain, and cervical strain.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support the presence of a current hearing loss disability or a compensable rating for shin splints and TBI. However, there was improvement in the lumbosacral strain to warrant restoration of the 20 percent rating effective June 1, 2023.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral hearing loss, Shin splints, right leg, Shin splints, left leg, Traumatic brain injury (TBI), Cervical strain, Right ankle strain, Left ankle strain, Tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 13, 2025
- Citation
- A25023439
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,456 · Granted: 23% (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 A25023439.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
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 claim for a low back disorder was reopened, and his claims for increased ratings of bilateral knee instability were granted. His hearing loss claim was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a higher rating for PTSD and dismissed his appeals regarding increased ratings for tinnitus and a right hand disability due to lack of timely filing of Notice of Disagreement.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including GAD, MDD, bruxism, migraines/headaches, tinnitus, hip pain, iliotibial band syndrome, and leg stress fractures. The evidence does not support current diagnoses of these conditions during the appeal period.
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