The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for right ear hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that his current bilateral hearing loss is not otherwise etiologically related to such service. The claim for left ear hearing loss was also denied as there was no evidence showing it manifested in active service or within one year thereafter.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found no evidence of right ear hearing loss during service and the Veteran's current right ear hearing loss is not otherwise etiologically related to such service. The Board concluded that tinnitus did not manifest in service, nor was there any evidence linking it to service. For left ear hearing loss, the Board noted that while the Veteran reported difficulty hearing, no audiometric testing during service showed impairment and post-service testing also failed to show a compensable level of disability.
- Claimed conditions
- left ear hearing loss, right ear hearing loss, tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 20, 2015
- Citation
- 1530897
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 1530897.
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.
- 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.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of foot disability and cardiovascular disorder are remanded for additional development.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran experienced tinnitus during his active duty service.
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