The Veteran's claim for higher ratings for his bilateral hearing loss prior to January 20, 2006 was denied. The RO granted service connection and assigned a noncompensable rating effective August 26, 2004. A subsequent increase in the evaluation to 10 percent effective January 6, 2006, and then to 20 percent effective May 11, 2010, was granted by the RO.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's hearing loss did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating prior to January 20, 2006, as his pure tone thresholds were within normal limits or only mildly impaired in both ears. From January 6, 2006, to May 10, 2010, the Veteran's hearing loss was moderately severe in one ear and mild to moderate in the other, which did not warrant a rating higher than 20 percent.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 7, 2011
- Citation
- 1113854
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 1113854.
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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