The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, patellofemoral pain syndrome status post traumatic injury of the right knee, left knee tendonitis with painful motion, and left knee tendonitis with limited extension were denied. The claim for left knee patellar instability was granted with a 10% rating effective January 16, 2024.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support current diagnoses of bilateral hearing loss or the presence of functional limitations that would warrant higher ratings under applicable diagnostic codes.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, patellofemoral pain syndrome status post traumatic injury of the right knee, left knee tendonitis with painful motion, left knee tendonitis with limited extension, left knee patellar instability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 3, 2026
- Citation
- A26030735
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 A26030735.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim, specifically needing an addendum opinion from a VA examiner. The Veteran will be asked to provide any missing records and former employers' information.
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