The veteran's bilateral hearing loss is manifested by level II hearing acuity in the right ear, and level XI hearing acuity in the left ear. The Board finds that he is not entitled to an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss at any time subsequent to the effective date of the initial grant for service connection.
The deciding factor: The veteran's puretone threshold averages for both ears do not meet the criteria for exceptional hearing impairment, and therefore his disability rating remains at 10 percent under Diagnostic Code 6100.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- February 16, 2006
- Citation
- 0604480
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD, entitlement to TDIU, and SMC based on housebound status.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for asbestosis, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), rhinitis, sinusitis, and asthma. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was also denied a compensable rating.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various disabilities and denied higher ratings for several service-connected conditions.
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