The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and respiratory disorder (to include as secondary to asbestos exposure) was denied. The Board found no evidence of a respiratory disorder during or immediately after service, and the current diagnosis is attributed to cigarette smoking. For hearing loss, the Board noted that there were no specific references in service records to hearing-related complaints, but the Veteran's DD Form 214 reflects he served in Vietnam and had noise exposure. The claim for respiratory disorder was denied as there was no evidence of asbestos exposure during or after service.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not support a direct relationship between the current diagnoses and military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Respiratory Disorder (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 16, 2010
- Citation
- 1043006
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 1043006.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The issue remains under direct service connection theory.
- Denied
The Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 30 percent, the highest non-compensable rating available. The Board found that his hearing loss did not warrant a higher rating based on VA examinations and medical records.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current hearing loss and his active service. The Board noted that while he had complaints of earaches in service, these did not indicate a current disability.
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