The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and left ear otitis media, and found that the veteran did not meet the criteria for increased initial evaluations for his other conditions.
The deciding factor: The evidence of record does not support a finding of service connection for bilateral hearing loss or left ear otitis media. For the other conditions, the veteran's symptoms do not meet the criteria for higher ratings based on the current severity and functional impact of the disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral hearing loss, Left ear otitis media, Left inguinal hernia repair with residual superficial peroneal nerve entrapment, Hiatal hernia with gastroesophageal reflux disease and irritable bowel syndrome (gastrointestinal disorder), Hypertension, Right shoulder disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 9, 2009
- Citation
- 0904664
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 Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, as there was no evidence of a current disability in the right ear and insufficient evidence to establish a nexus between the left ear hearing loss and service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and hypertension, to include as secondary to left orchiectomy, for further development in accordance with the PACT Act.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter for a medical clarification regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected epilepsy has aggravated his bilateral hearing loss.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss to obtain an addendum opinion addressing the Veteran's lay statements regarding in-service acoustic trauma and a rocket blast injury.
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