The Board has determined that the veteran does not currently suffer from bilateral hearing loss disability for VA compensation purposes and therefore, service connection for this condition is denied.
The deciding factor: The audiometric results at the time of separation from service did not meet the regulatory requirements for establishing a 'disability' at that time. The Board finds no competent evidence of current hearing loss disability as defined for VA compensation purposes.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, lumbar spine disorder (claimed as lumbosacral strain), chronic respiratory disorder (claimed as chronic bronchitis/residuals of pneumonia), chronic sinusitis/rhinitis, residuals of left upper back/neck trauma (claimed as cervical and thoracic spine disability), left shoulder disorder, bilateral knee disorder, chronic headaches, facial acne
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 30, 2003
- Citation
- 0336549
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 0336549.
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.
- 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).
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability, as the evidence did not support higher ratings or service connection.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding it at least as likely as not related to the Veteran's in-service noise exposure.
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