The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral defective hearing did not result from military service and was not aggravated by it. The evidence showed a pre-existing hearing loss at enlistment, which did not worsen during service.
The deciding factor: The audiometric findings showed no significant change in hearing acuity between enlistment and separation, and the examiner opined that any changes were due to normal test-retest reliability or different calibration standards used at the time of enlistment.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral defective hearing
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- December 20, 2012
- Citation
- 1243623
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 1243623.
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: Granted
The Veteran's bilateral defective hearing was rated at 20% prior to April 27, 2010 and increased to 50% thereafter.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral defective hearing warrants a 10 percent evaluation effective from February 27, 2015.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for automobile and adaptive equipment or adaptive equipment only as defined by VA regulations.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's preexisting bilateral defective hearing did not increase in disability during service, and thus denied her claim for service connection.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.