The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not incurred or aggravated by service, and is therefore denied.,Service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity and right lower extremity is granted as these conditions are associated with his service-connected diabetes mellitus.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of evidence indicates that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not incurred or aggravated by service, given the normal audiometric results during service and the lack of any significant change in hearing levels post-service. The Board finds the VA examination conclusions to be more probative than the Veteran's assertions regarding the etiology of his hearing loss.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired psychiatric disability (PTSD), Bilateral hearing loss, Tinnitus, Peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity, Peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- November 1, 2011
- Citation
- 1140432
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1140432.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's claim for a low back disorder was reopened, and his claims for increased ratings of bilateral knee instability were granted. His hearing loss claim was denied.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a higher rating for PTSD and dismissed his appeals regarding increased ratings for tinnitus and a right hand disability due to lack of timely filing of Notice of Disagreement.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including GAD, MDD, bruxism, migraines/headaches, tinnitus, hip pain, iliotibial band syndrome, and leg stress fractures. The evidence does not support current diagnoses of these conditions during the appeal period.
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