Case 23004196: Back
DecisionVeterans-appeals decision document (court public records) · January 24, 2023 · Unknown
Conditions Claimed
Official 2026 VA monthly compensation, including the 2.8% COLA increase.
Dependent add-ons start at a 30% rating. Child-only and dependent-parent rates: see the full 2026 pay chart.
2026 base rates, all ratings (veteran alone)
| Rating | Monthly (2026, incl. 2.8% COLA) |
|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 |
| 20% | $356.66 |
| 30% | $552.47 |
| 40% | $795.84 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 |
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Issues on Appeal
BackHearing Loss
Why It Was Decided This Way
In September 2022, the Veteran's claim was remanded by the Board for additional development to include obtaining a new VA examination with a medical nexus opinion.
Establishing direct service connection generally requires (1) medical evidence of a current disability; (2) medical, or in certain circumstances, lay evidence of in-service occurrence or aggravation of a disease or injury; and (3) medical evidence of a nexus between the claimed in-service disease or injury and the present disability.
However, if there is insufficient evidence to establish that a claimed chronic disability was present during service or during the one-year presumptive period thereafter, the evidence must establish a nexus between his current disability and his in-service exposure to loud noise.
A veteran is entitled to the benefit of the doubt when the evidence is in approximate balance or "nearly equal," and does not require that the evidence be in exact equipoise.
Regardless of the inconsistencies during examination, the June 2022 examiner ultimately opined that the Veteran's hearing loss was less likely than not related to service.
Her, "the evidence is against a nexus in this case due to normal, stable thresholds during military service and no report of claimed condition within a reasonable time frame of active-duty service.
Ultimately, the examiner opined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was less likely than not related to service.
Specifically, the NIHL article did not address nor consider the Veteran's specific medical history and used terms such as "can be".
Authorities Cited
Regulations Cited (38 CFR / 38 USC)
Denial Type
Credibility|No Nexus
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