The Board denied increased ratings for cervical and thoracolumbar spine strains, TMJ disorder, dermatitis of the face, right knee chondromalacia grade II with patellar tendonitis, medial meniscal derangement, and Baker's cyst, and bilateral hearing loss. However, service connection was granted for radicular pain paresthesia of the right upper extremity.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a higher rating for the claimed conditions due to limited range of motion and lack of ankylosis or incapacitating episodes, while radicular pain and paresthesia of the right upper extremity was found to be causally related to the service-connected cervical spine strain.
- Claimed conditions
- Cervical spine strain, Thoracolumbar spine strain, Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder, Dermatitis of the face, Right knee chondromalacia grade II with patellar tendonitis, medial meniscal derangement, and Baker's cyst, Limitation of flexion, right knee, Abnormal blood count with a heavy concentration of metals, Hearing loss, Radicular pain paresthesia of the right upper extremity, Posttraumatic residual pain of the right foot
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 28, 2025
- Citation
- A25093094
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,797 · Granted: 20% (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 A25093094.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim of service connection for a neck disorder, as it is insufficiently addressed in the previous decision. The case will be sent back for an addendum opinion.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for cervical spine strain, right wrist sprain, right knee strain, left knee strain, and right ankle strain. The disabilities are all deemed to have begun during the Veteran's active duty.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's hearing loss and low back strain claims are remanded for further evaluation. The hearing loss claim is denied, while the low back strain claim requires additional examination to determine its severity.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current hearing loss disability is not related to military noise exposure and there is no evidence of a nexus between in-service noise exposure and his current condition.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.