The Board found that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss did not meet the criteria for service connection due to lack of evidence showing it was incurred during active duty. For asthma, the evaluation remained at 10 percent as there were no findings warranting a higher rating.
The deciding factor: The VA medical records showed normal audiograms and no clinical findings of bilateral hearing loss during or after service. The veteran's asthma did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation based on FEV-1/FVC percentages or frequency of attacks.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Asthma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 17, 2002
- Citation
- 0204709
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 0204709.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for asbestosis, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), rhinitis, sinusitis, and asthma. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was also denied a compensable rating.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 40 percent disability rating for bladder cancer in remission with urinary incontinence and denied an increased disability rating in excess of 30 percent for asthma.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD, entitlement to TDIU, and SMC based on housebound status.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.