The Veteran's lumbar spine disability, including degenerative arthritis and IVDS, is granted as service-connected.,Service connection for right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, and right knee instability are denied.
The deciding factor: Reasonable doubt was resolved in favor of the Veteran regarding his lumbar spine disability, which predates active duty but developed during service. The Board found credible the Veteran's account of chronic back pain during active duty.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Arthritis of the Spine with IVDS, Right Ear Hearing Loss, Left Ear Hearing Loss, Right Knee Instability, Right Ankle Disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 3, 2026
- Citation
- A26030887
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 A26030887.
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.
- 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.
- Granted
The Veteran's cervical spine disability, right knee strain (painful motion), and right knee instability are now rated at 30 percent effective August 16, 2017.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has granted a separate rating of 30 percent for right knee instability, but has remanded the issue of an increased rating for right knee disability due to inadequate VA examinations and failure to consider the effects of pain medication.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for right ear hearing loss and a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence to support these claims based on in-service noise exposure or other theories.
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