The Veteran's service-connected bilateral tinnitus and right ear hearing loss do not render him unemployable, as his disabilities are rated at the minimum levels and do not significantly impact his ability to engage in substantially gainful employment.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected conditions have been rated based on their severity under the applicable VA rating criteria. However, they do not meet the threshold requirements for a TDIU due to their low disability ratings and minimal functional impact on his employability.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Tinnitus, Right Ear Hearing Loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 12, 2018
- Citation
- 1809060
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 1809060.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for right ear hearing loss and a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence to support these claims based on in-service noise exposure or other theories.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral tinnitus disabilities, finding that these conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.
- Denied
The Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability was not incurred in service and is less likely than not caused by noise exposure during his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral tinnitus was granted with a 10% disability rating effective October 30, 2020. The Board found that the earliest date of application for this claim is November 25, 2019.
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