The Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to March 10, 2014 and an increased rating for chronic otitis media, left ear are denied. The Board finds that the evidence does not support granting higher ratings under applicable VA regulations.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to March 10, 2014 and an increased rating for chronic otitis media, left ear as per VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities. The Veteran's claims are secondary to his service-connected chronic otitis media.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Chronic Otitis Media (left ear)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 9, 2018
- Citation
- 1801008
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 1801008.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for asbestosis, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), rhinitis, sinusitis, and asthma. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was also denied a compensable rating.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD, entitlement to TDIU, and SMC based on housebound status.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various disabilities and denied higher ratings for several service-connected conditions.
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