The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities were not incurred in or aggravated by active service, and may not be presumed to have been so incurred or aggravated.
The deciding factor: VA audiometric examination results showed current bilateral hearing loss disability but did not demonstrate any in-service acoustic trauma. The examiner opined that the Veteran's hearing loss is less likely as not caused by, or a result of, in-service acoustic trauma.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss Disability, Bilateral Tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 29, 2009
- Citation
- 0924340
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 0924340.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, finding that these conditions are related to his in-service noise exposure.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral tinnitus was granted with a 10% disability rating effective October 30, 2020. The Board found that the earliest date of application for this claim is November 25, 2019.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral tinnitus disabilities, finding that these conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for bilateral tinnitus is dismissed as he has withdrawn his appeal.,The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to May 3, 2006, is denied.,The Veteran's claim for a disability rating of 10 percent, but no higher, for bilateral hearing loss from May 3, 2006, to November 2, 2023, is granted.,The Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss from November 3, 2023, and continuing, is denied.,The Veteran's claim for Total Disability Rating Based on Unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities is granted.
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.