The Veteran's claims for increased rating of bilateral hearing loss and service connection for vestibular neuritis were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher evaluation for his hearing loss disability, as it was consistent with the current assigned evaluation.
The deciding factor: The VA examination reports showed that the Veteran's hearing impairment met the criteria for a 20 percent rating under the applicable diagnostic criteria, and there was no indication of an exceptional pattern of hearing impairment in either ear. The Board found that his lay statements regarding difficulty at work did not provide additional evidence to warrant a higher evaluation.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, vestibular neuritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- July 13, 2017
- Citation
- 1727287
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 1727287.
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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