The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss, bilateral pes planus, a gastroesophageal disorder, and a gastrointestinal disorder. The decision found that there was no evidence of post-service manifestations of hearing loss or any current diagnosis of bilateral pes planus, and thus did not meet VA criteria for disability.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that the Veteran's service separation audiograms showed only temporary threshold shifts without evidence of permanent hearing loss, and his September 2006 VA examination found no current hearing loss. For bilateral pes planus, there was no medical evidence showing any post-service manifestations or aggravation during military service.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, bilateral pes planus, gastroesophageal disorder, gastrointestinal disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 1, 2011
- Citation
- 1128511
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 1128511.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim, specifically needing an addendum opinion from a VA examiner. The Veteran will be asked to provide any missing records and former employers' information.
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