The VA denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for the veteran's service-connected left ear hearing loss, as his current disability level is rated at Level XI (profound sensorineural hearing loss) with no speech recognition ability.
The deciding factor: The veteran's left ear hearing loss resulted in Level XI hearing impairment without any speech recognition ability due to severe puretone thresholds of 105+ decibels, which falls under the criteria for a rating of 10 percent disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Left ear hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- July 14, 2003
- Citation
- 0315806
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 0315806.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 20 percent rating for the Veteran's left knee strain, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and service connection for a right ankle disorder. Other claims were denied or remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board denied an increased rating for PTSD and remanded the issues of a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss and entitlement to TDIU.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased disability rating for bilateral combined cataracts and left ear hearing loss.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of April 5, 2018, for the award of service connection for PTSD and denied earlier effective dates for erectile dysfunction, left ear hearing loss, migraines, and other conditions.
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.