The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased evaluations have been denied. The Board found no evidence of a current disability related to bilateral hearing loss, and the Veteran does not meet the criteria for a current diagnosis under VA regulations.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not present evidence of a current disability related to bilateral hearing loss that would warrant service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, headaches, sciatica (bilateral lower extremities), right upper extremity condition, cervical spine disability, right shoulder disability, anxiety and depression (claimed as a psychiatric disorder), post-traumatic stress disorder, lumbar spine disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 13, 2017
- Citation
- 1751615
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 1751615.
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.
- 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's right shoulder disability and migraines/chronic headaches are remanded for additional development due to insufficient opinions on the etiology of her conditions.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's headaches are at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected traumatic brain injury, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- 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.
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