The Board has found that the veteran's current right ear hearing loss did not have its onset during service and is otherwise unrelated to his active service. The left ear hearing loss was manifested, at most, by an average pure tone threshold of 83 decibels with speech discrimination of 72 percent. As a result, the claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss has been denied, while the grant of service connection for left ear hearing loss and the assignment of a noncompensable rating have been upheld.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner's opinion provided clear rationale that the veteran's current right ear hearing loss did not have its onset during service or is otherwise unrelated to his active service. The private audiologist's opinion was less probative due to her omission of reference to the highly relevant audiometric results at separation from service.
- Claimed conditions
- Hearing loss of the right ear, Hearing loss of the left ear
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- August 9, 2007
- Citation
- 0724654
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 0724654.
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 has found that a remand is necessary due to the Veteran's assertion of worsening hearing loss. The case will be returned for further development, including scheduling a VA examination and obtaining any outstanding medical records.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate nexus opinion regarding the Veteran's hearing loss of the right ear, which may still be related to service despite no hearing loss at separation.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss of the right ear is denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative joint disease of the SI joint is remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for hearing loss of the left ear due to an inadequate VA examination.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.