The Board has determined that there is no evidence of hearing loss in the right ear for VA purposes and thus service connection cannot be granted. For the left ear, while hearing loss was shown on examination, it did not meet VA criteria for a disability. The examiner's opinion supported by specialized training concluded that the Veteran's current hearing loss in the left ear is less likely than not related to his military service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability in either ear as defined by VA regulations, and there is no probative evidence of a hearing loss disability during the appeal period or recent to the filing of the claim for service connection. The examiner's opinion supported by specialized training concluded that the Veteran's current hearing loss in the left ear is less likely than not related to his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Hearing Loss, Right Ear, Hearing Loss, Left Ear
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 15, 2016
- Citation
- 1636177
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 1636177.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
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- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates are inextricably intertwined with other issues on appeal and must be remanded. The AOJ is instructed to obtain a medical opinion regarding when the Veteran's service-connected disorders first manifested, readjudicate the 1981 claim, and readjudicate all of the herein issues on appeal.
- Denied
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- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, did not prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment during the period on appeal.
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