The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left ear conductive and sensorineural hearing loss, finding that new and material evidence had not been received to reopen the claim for conductive hearing loss. The Board also found that the Veteran's current hearing loss was not related to his active military service.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not establish a link between the Veteran's current hearing loss and his active duty service, as it could not be determined whether the left ear pathology existed prior to service or if there had been any progression beyond natural progress in the left ear disease.
- Claimed conditions
- Conductive hearing loss, Sensorineural hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 2, 2010
- Citation
- 1045162
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 1045162.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for traumatic arthritis, left knee is granted. The Board also found that the Veteran has current sensorineural hearing loss and pseudofolliculitis barbae (razor bumps/tinea barbae) but remanded to obtain a VA examination for his hearing loss.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including CAD with AFIB and cardiomyopathy, hypertension, sensorineural hearing loss, tinnitus, an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD, depression, anxiety), erectile dysfunction, and chronic fatigue. The issues are related to the in-service noise exposure and continuity of symptoms.
- Denied
The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable due to the absence of any impairment that warrants a higher rating under VA's schedular criteria.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss did not have its clinical onset in service and is not otherwise related to active duty. The claim was denied as there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and military service.
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