The VA denied the veteran's claims for service connection for defective hearing and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service.
The deciding factor: VA found that the veteran did not have any in-service noise exposure and that both hearing loss and tinnitus began at least 25 years after service separation.
- Claimed conditions
- Defective Hearing
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 21, 2007
- Citation
- 0729849
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 0729849.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeal for increased SMC under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(p) and higher rate of SMC based on the need for a higher level of aid and attendance under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(r)(2) is denied due to lack of eligibility for compensation at the maximum rate or intermediate rate authorized.
- Denied
The Veteran's defective hearing has been rated as noncompensable, and the Board found that his hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating based on audiometric testing results.
- Granted
The Board in 1956 incorrectly applied the presumption of soundness, leading to a denial of service connection for defective hearing. The Court reversed this decision and held that if the Board had correctly applied the law at the time, it would have found service connection due to the Veteran's preexisting condition worsening during service.
- Denied
The Veteran does not have service-connected defective hearing as his current hearing loss is not shown to be related to military service, including noise exposure.
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.