The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim is denied as the evidence does not meet the VA criteria for a diagnosis of hearing loss.,Service connection for OCD is denied due to lack of medical evidence supporting its onset during service or related to service. The private psychologist's opinion was deemed inadequate and speculative.,Right knee pain is denied as there is no diagnosed condition, only reported symptoms from active duty.
The deciding factor: The Veteran does not meet the VA criteria for a diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss based on audiological evaluation results that were within normal limits. The chiropractor's opinion was found to be without probative value due to lack of review of medical records and speculative language.,The private psychologist's opinion regarding OCD is deemed inadequate as it lacks certainty, detailed description of DSM-V criteria, and does not provide a well-reasoned analysis connecting the Veteran's symptoms to service. The evidence did not show any diagnosis or treatment for OCD during service.,There was no diagnosed condition for right knee pain; only reported symptoms from active duty were noted.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Right Knee Pain
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 21, 2026
- Citation
- A26005481
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 A26005481.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The issue remains under direct service connection theory.
- Denied
The Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 30 percent, the highest non-compensable rating available. The Board found that his hearing loss did not warrant a higher rating based on VA examinations and medical records.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current hearing loss and his active service. The Board noted that while he had complaints of earaches in service, these did not indicate a current disability.
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