The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and an increased rating for allergic rhinitis. The evidence did not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation under the applicable rating criteria.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations showed no current disability meeting the definition of hearing loss, and the medical opinion indicated that any hearing loss was due to noise exposure in service rather than service-connected tinnitus.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, allergic rhinitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 24, 2003
- Citation
- 0317332
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 0317332.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's lumbar spine pain, allergic rhinitis, and recurrent yeast infections. The claims for service connection for generalized anxiety disorder with alcohol use disorder and left knee pain were remanded.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a new examination to determine the severity of the Veteran's allergic rhinitis, including whether there is any nasal obstruction or polyps.
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