The Board denied the Veteran's claims regarding service connection for rectal cancer and an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current conditions and his military service. The reduction from 30 percent to 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss was also denied as not proper.
The deciding factor: The Board found insufficient medical evidence linking the Veteran's rectal cancer or bilateral hearing loss to his military service, and thus denied service connection. The reduction in rating for hearing loss was deemed improper due to lack of improvement in ability to function under ordinary conditions of life and work.
- Claimed conditions
- rectal cancer, bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- March 21, 2014
- Citation
- 1411909
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 1411909.
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 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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