The Board found that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability did not meet VA compensation criteria and denied his claim for service connection. The Board also noted that he had heel contusions in service but no evidence of a current heel disability, and back strain in service with no current back disability.
The deciding factor: The audiometric test results on separation from service did not show hearing loss 'disability' for VA purposes, and the veteran has not provided medical evidence of current bilateral hearing loss disability. The Board also found that there was insufficient evidence to establish a link between any current heel or back disabilities and service.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss disability, bilateral heel disability, back disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 21, 2004
- Citation
- 0416000
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 0416000.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for a back disability due to a duty to assist error, specifically regarding VA's failure to provide the Veteran with a VA examination prior to the rating decision.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for right ankle, left ankle, back disability, and other conditions as there is no evidence of a current disability related to the Veteran's military service.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, and shortness of breath as untimely. The claim for a back disability was remanded for further development.
- Denied
The Veteran was awarded service connection for allergic rhinitis based on the PACT Act, but an earlier effective date prior to August 10, 2022, is not warranted.
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