The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have left ear hearing loss as defined by VA regulation and right ear hearing loss was not manifest during service or until many years thereafter. The preponderance of evidence is against finding a connection between the Veteran's diagnosed right ear sensorineural hearing loss and his active service, including noise exposure. Tinnitus was also not manifest during service and the preponderance of evidence is against finding a connection to service.
The deciding factor: The June 2011 VA examination concluded that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are less likely as not caused by or a result of military noise exposure, given his normal hearing at separation and lack of recent medical diagnosis of disability prior to appeal period.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 25, 2013
- Citation
- 1330816
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 1330816.
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 service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
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