The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a disorder of the colon, to include diverticulitis, bilateral hearing loss, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The decision found that preexisting bilateral hearing loss was not aggravated during active duty.
The deciding factor: There is no clear and unmistakable evidence showing aggravation of pre-existing bilateral hearing loss during service. Pure tone thresholds did not show a significant worsening/increase of 15 'dBHL' or more within the relevant range tested, indicating that any increase in disability was beyond the natural progression.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), disorder of the colon, to include diverticulitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 6, 2012
- Citation
- 1230505
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 1230505.
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.
- 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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