The Board has determined that the veteran's left ear disability is not related to his military service and denied both his claim for service connection as well as his request for a higher initial evaluation for residuals of a right hand laceration.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not establish a nexus between the veteran's current hearing loss in the left ear and any incident during his active duty, including exposure to explosions. The VA examinations did not find any service-connected injury or disease that caused the veteran's current condition.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Ear Disability, Right Hand Laceration Residuals
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- January 9, 2008
- Citation
- 0800954
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0800954.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for traumatic brain injury, neck injury, headaches (including migraines), scar on the right forehead, and left ear disability due to conflicting evidence and lack of clear medical findings.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for Crohn's disease and reopened the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, to include a left ear disability. The Veteran is presumed exposed to acoustic trauma during military service.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for a right knee disability and a left ear disability, finding insufficient new and material evidence to reopen the claims.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
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.