The Board denied service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disorder and denied increased ratings for right knee strain, left knee flexion, and left knee extension. The claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for left ankle crepitus were remanded.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss met VA's criteria for a hearing loss disability, nor was there sufficient evidence to warrant higher ratings for his knee conditions. The Board also found no basis to grant service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder or increased rating for left ankle crepitus.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral hearing loss disorder, Right knee strain with limitation of flexion, Left knee strain with limitation of flexion, Left knee strain with limitation of extension
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 6, 2025
- Citation
- A25040959
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for further development and evidence collection, as some relevant private treatment records have not been obtained.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disorder and remanded several other claims, including those for an acquired psychiatric disorder, headache, hypertension, cervical spine, thoracic spine, shin splints, foot disorders, and tinnitus.
- Denied
The Board denied the claims for increased ratings and service connection, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating or service connection.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, right elbow, and left elbow disorders. The claims for increased ratings for the Veteran's left hand strains were remanded for further development.
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