The appeal concerning entitlement to service connection for right ear hearing loss is dismissed as the Veteran's claim has already been granted.,The appeal concerning entitlement to service connection for left ankle sprain is dismissed as the Veteran was awarded service connection based on a non-liberalizing law and the issue of an effective date is not on appeal.
The deciding factor: There is no remaining case or controversy regarding the denial of service connection for right ear hearing loss, as it has already been granted.,The Veteran's left ankle sprain was awarded based on a non-liberalizing law and thus does not constitute an ongoing case or controversy.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Ear Hearing Loss, Left Ankle Sprain, Muscle Spasms of the Bilateral Hands (later identified as Bilateral Hand Strains), Bilateral Ankle Pain (later identified as Bilateral Ankle Sprains), Right Shoulder Strain, Unspecified Trauma and Stressor Related Disorder, Left Knee Strain, Left Knee Instability, Right Knee Strain, Bilateral Hearing Loss, Right Hand Strain, Left Hand Strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 24, 2026
- Citation
- A26026472
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 A26026472.
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
What you can do next
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 Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities have been rated and denied for increased ratings, with some conditions receiving specific disability ratings. The Veteran is granted a 60% rating for her total right knee replacement from September 4, 2015 onwards, but the other claims are denied.
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