The veteran is eligible for direct payment of attorney fees based on the May 2023 award of a 20 percent rating for bilateral hearing loss. The veteran is not eligible for direct payment of attorney fees based on the May 2023 awards of service connection for hypertension, diabetes mellitus, back disability, and right lower extremity radiculopathy.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the appellant was eligible to the direct payment of attorney fees based on the past-due benefits awarded in the May 2023 rating decision stemming from the assigned 20 percent rating for bilateral hearing loss because the initial decision was respect to the case was the March 2023 rating decision.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, back disability, right lower extremity radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- January 2, 2025
- Citation
- A25000144
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