The Board granted a 20 percent initial disability rating for the back, LLE sciatic radiculopathy, and RLE sciatic radiculopathy from July 27, 2018, but denied an increased rating in excess of 20 percent for bilateral hearing loss.
The deciding factor: The Board granted a higher evaluation based on the severity of symptoms shown during flare-ups and repeated use over time, while denying an increased rating due to the lack of evidence showing more severe symptoms warranting a higher rating.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral hearing loss, Back disability (lumbosacral strain with spondylolisthesis), Left lower extremity (LLE) sciatic radiculopathy, Right lower extremity (RLE) sciatic radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- July 1, 2025
- Citation
- A25056746
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 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss to obtain an addendum opinion addressing the Veteran's lay statements regarding in-service acoustic trauma and a rocket blast injury.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of May 17, 2019, for a 70 percent disability rating for PTSD but denied earlier effective dates for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.
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