The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been reopened. The Board finds that the evidence is sufficient to establish that his left and right ear hearing loss are related to service, with aggravation beyond normal progression of the disease by noise exposure in service.
The deciding factor: The additional medical opinions provided since the prior denial indicate that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is more likely than not aggravated by noise exposure during service.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Depression, Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), Diabetes Mellitus, Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy of the Ulnar Nerve in Left Upper Extremity, Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy of the Ulnar Nerve in Right Upper Extremity, Neuropathy of the Left Lower Extremity, Neuropathy of the Right Lower Extremity, Lipoma Scar with Residual Hypersensitivity (Lipoma Scar)
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 8, 2016
- Citation
- 1646040
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 1646040.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient findings regarding PTSD and depression, requiring a new VA examination.
- 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.
- 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.
- Denied
The Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 30 percent, the highest non-compensable rating available. The Board found that his hearing loss did not warrant a higher rating based on VA examinations and medical records.
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