The Board finds that the Veteran does not currently suffer from hearing loss in either ear, as defined by VA regulations. Therefore, his claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.,After a thorough review of the evidence, including the Veteran's STRs and post-service medical records, the examiner diagnosed sensorineural hearing loss in both ears. However, the objective audiometric results do not meet the criteria for a diagnosis of hearing loss under VA regulations.
The deciding factor: The objective audiometric results from the Veteran's STRs and subsequent examinations show that his hearing acuity remains below the criteria for a diagnosis of hearing loss under VA standards.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, Diabetes Mellitus, Type II, Hypertension
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 2, 2015
- Citation
- 1537442
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 1537442.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for hypertension, finding that it did not manifest during service and is not causally related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicides or service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The issue remains under direct service connection theory.
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