The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 50 percent for total right elbow arthroplasty with degenerative arthritis is denied. A temporary 100 percent rating is granted from September 17, 2020 to September 16, 2021 and a 50 percent rating is denied thereafter. SMC(s) are granted from September 17, 2020 to September 16, 2021. The claim for service connection for tinnitus is remanded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's current right elbow disability meets the criteria for a temporary 100 percent rating and a permanent 50 percent rating following the initial period of eligibility.
- Claimed conditions
- Total right elbow arthroplasty with degenerative arthritis, Hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- April 14, 2026
- Citation
- A26034363
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 A26034363.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's hearing loss and low back strain claims are remanded for further evaluation. The hearing loss claim is denied, while the low back strain claim requires additional examination to determine its severity.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current hearing loss disability is not related to military noise exposure and there is no evidence of a nexus between in-service noise exposure and his current condition.
- Granted
The Veteran's entitlement to higher level of SMC at the intermediate rate is granted, effective from January 8, 2021. He was previously in need of aid and attendance due to his left knee disability since February 1, 2017, and now has additional disabilities rated at 50 percent or more.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the hearing loss claim due to incomplete records and the need for a VA examination. The Veteran's hearing loss may be related to service or secondary to his service-connected cerumen impaction.
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