The veteran's claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss was accepted as received on August 13, 2004. The RO granted a 60% evaluation effective March 31, 2003 and later increased the rating to 80% effective October 26, 2005. The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for bilateral hearing loss was denied as it is not factually ascertainable that his hearing loss increased in severity during the year prior to August 13, 2004.
The deciding factor: The RO found no evidence of a significant increase in the veteran's hearing loss within one year before the claim was received on August 13, 2004.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, degenerative joint disease of the right knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 80%
- Decision date
- December 17, 2008
- Citation
- 0843463
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 0843463.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim, specifically needing an addendum opinion from a VA examiner. The Veteran will be asked to provide any missing records and former employers' information.
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