The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current bilateral hearing loss disability and there is no evidence of such during service. The VA examination did not reflect hearing loss as defined by VA regulations, but a March 2014 private audiogram showed bilateral hearing loss. However, this private audiogram was uninterpreted and the Board finds that the VA examinations are more persuasive. There is insufficient evidence linking the Veteran's current hearing loss to service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found no significant worsening of threshold shift when comparing the 1972 enlistment examination to the April 2013 VA examination findings, and determined that the Veteran's current hearing loss is less likely as not due to noise exposure in the military. The private audiogram did not reflect a hearing loss disability.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, low back disorder, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 19, 2016
- Citation
- 1633096
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 1633096.
What this means for you
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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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