The Veteran's claims for higher initial disability ratings for service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied. The maximum schedular evaluation is assigned for the Veteran's tinnitus, and a referral for extraschedular consideration was not warranted.,The Veteran's claim seeking an earlier effective date for the awards of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus was also denied.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not demonstrate that the Veteran's hearing loss or tinnitus had worsened since a December 2012 VA examination, which is considered the most recent reliable evaluation. The maximum schedular rating of 10 percent for tinnitus has already been assigned.,There was no indication in the record that the Veteran communicated his intent to file for service connection prior to August 15, 2002.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 20, 2017
- Citation
- 1712797
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 1712797.
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- 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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