The Board found that there was no clear and unmistakable error in the August 7, 1991 rating decision denying service connection for bilateral hearing loss secondary to a perforated left eardrum.,An effective date prior to June 16, 1999, for the grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss was not warranted.
The deciding factor: The August 7, 1991 rating decision correctly applied the then-existing laws and regulations regarding service connection. The evidence at that time did not support a finding of secondary service connection.,The effective date could not be earlier than June 16, 1999, as this was when the veteran's claim to reopen was received.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 22, 2004
- Citation
- 0402185
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 0402185.
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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