Veterans’ RightsAn independent resource for veterans
← All decisions
Denied

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus were denied, as the evidence did not show current disabilities. The Veteran's cervical spine degenerative arthritis was rated at 20% and his lumbar spinal degenerative arthritis with spondylosis and central stenosis was rated at 10%. These ratings are maintained.

The deciding factor: The Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability or tinnitus, as defined by VA regulations. His cervical spine disability is rated based on the degree of forward flexion, which is greater than 30 degrees but less than 60 degrees in both the thoracolumbar and cervical regions.

Claimed conditions
Bilateral Hearing Loss Disability, Tinnitus
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating assigned
None in this decision
Decision date
August 1, 2014
Citation
1434397

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 1434397.

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.

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.