The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, finding that his hearing loss did not warrant a higher rating prior to April 1, 2009, and subsequently found no improvement in his condition from April 1, 2009. The right knee, congenital fifth toe deformities, ischemic heart disease, and hypertension claims were also denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's hearing loss disability was rated at 30% prior to April 1, 2009, and the Board found no evidence of improvement in his condition from that date forward. The right knee, congenital fifth toe deformities, ischemic heart disease, and hypertension claims were denied as there was insufficient evidence to establish service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- November 30, 2015
- Citation
- 1550040
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 1550040.
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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