The Veteran's throat cancer was not incurred during active service and is not etiologically related to military service. His hearing loss did not clearly and unmistakably pre-exist service, but the examiner opined that it is less likely than not (less than 50% probability) that his hearing loss was incurred or aggravated as a result of active service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's throat cancer is presumed to have developed post-service due to lack of evidence linking it to military service. His hearing loss, if pre-existing, did not clearly and unmistakably pre-exist service, but the examiner found that there was less than a 50% probability that his hearing loss was incurred or aggravated by active service.
- Claimed conditions
- squamous cell carcinoma of the supraglottic larynx with residual aphonia, bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 14, 2014
- Citation
- 1431379
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 1431379.
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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