The Board finds that the Veteran's hearing loss in the left ear was not incurred or aggravated by service, and is less likely than not related to military noise exposure.
The deciding factor: There were no complaints of hearing loss during service, and normal hearing thresholds were recorded. The absence of any evidence of continuing hearing loss for many years between separation from service and initial findings of hearing loss weighs against the claim.
- Claimed conditions
- Hearing loss, left ear
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 11, 2011
- Citation
- 1109831
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 1109831.
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 an initial compensable rating for her left ear hearing loss, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal for all issues, including a compensable rating for hearing loss, right ear, service connection for left ear hearing loss, a low back disorder and a skin rash, and TDIU.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death during the pendency of the appeal.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss in his left ear, finding that continuous symptoms since service support a direct basis for service connection.
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