The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been denied as there is no evidence of a current disability within the meaning of VA regulations.
The deciding factor: The October 2008 VA audiological examination report showed puretone thresholds that do not meet the criteria for a diagnosed hearing loss disability under VA regulations. The Veteran's speech recognition scores were also found to be unreliable, further supporting the denial of service connection for bilateral hearing loss.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, Right Knee Disorder (including status post arthroscopic meniscus repair for tear, recurrent meniscus tear, osteoarthritis, and an osteochondroma), Left Knee Disorder (including left knee strain, secondary to a right knee disorder), Lower Back Disorder (including lumbar strain, secondary to a right knee disorder)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 26, 2013
- Citation
- 1310113
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 1310113.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
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