The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is presumed to have existed prior to service and was not aggravated by military service. The Veteran's left ear hearing loss disability has been manifested by no more than an average puretone threshold, at the frequencies of 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hertz (Hz), of 83.75 decibels (dB) for the left ear and speech recognition scores of no lower than 64 percent in the left ear. The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable disability rating for his service-connected left ear hearing loss is denied.
The deciding factor: The pre-existing right ear hearing loss was not aggravated by military service, and there is no evidence to support a finding that it was aggravated during service. For the left ear hearing loss, the Veteran's current level of disability does not meet or approximate the criteria for a compensable evaluation under any applicable diagnostic code.
- Claimed conditions
- Right ear hearing loss, Left ear hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 0%
- Decision date
- September 8, 2017
- Citation
- 1737828
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 1737828.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
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 claims for further development due to insufficient evidence and need for additional examinations.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for a right ear hearing loss disability is dismissed. The appeal for service connection for bilateral knee disabilities is denied.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss disability does not meet or approximate criteria for a compensable (10%) disability rating at any point during the appeal period.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for right ear hearing loss and service connection for left ear hearing loss due to inadequate audiometric examinations. The Veteran will be scheduled for new VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his left ear hearing loss and the severity of his hearing loss.
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