The Board found that right ear hearing loss was not evident during service or until many years thereafter and is not shown to have been caused by any in-service event. The claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss, for substitution purposes, is denied.
The deciding factor: The opinion obtained from the VA audiologist indicated that the current hearing loss with tinnitus was unlikely to be related to military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Hearing loss in the right ear, Residuals of a traumatic brain injury (TBI), Residuals of an injury of the mouth, Residuals of dental trauma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- August 30, 2016
- Citation
- 1634179
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1634179.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
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- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for residuals of a traumatic brain injury and special monthly compensation based on the need of regular aid and attendance, while remanding the issue of service connection for a seizures disorder.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Board dismissed the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss, right knee, right hand, left knee, right ankle, and residuals of a traumatic brain injury due to untimely appeals or lack of evidence supporting current disability.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a new VA examination to determine the etiology of the Veteran's claimed residuals of TBI, as the previous examination was found inadequate.
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