The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss and finds that new evidence received since the October 1994 denial relates to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim. The Board also finds that the Veteran does not have a current disability of left ear hearing loss, as his hearing is within normal limits according to VA regulations.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service treatment records showed asymmetric hearing loss but no disabling hearing loss in either ear. A June 2005 Medical Board indicated that the Veteran's hearing loss originated in 1991 and was secondary to loud noise exposure due to service in Operation Desert Storm. However, his current hearing is within normal limits according to VA regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Ear Hearing Loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 12, 2009
- Citation
- 0917740
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 0917740.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
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 claims of service connection for right ear hearing loss and a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence to support these claims based on in-service noise exposure or other theories.
- Granted
The Veteran was granted a TDIU with a September 19, 2024 effective date based on his PTSD, emphysema, and COPD symptoms. His diabetes, tinnitus, and left ear hearing loss were not found to prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to March 19, 2024.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to August 31, 2020.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased evaluations have been remanded due to the need for further evaluation. The effective dates for the grants of service connection are not being granted earlier than November 25, 2019.
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