The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date and initial compensable rating for hearing loss is denied. The effective date of service connection for hearing loss was correctly assigned as April 29, 2003, the date he filed his informal claim.
The deciding factor: The effective date for service connection was correctly assigned based on the earliest communication from the Veteran expressing an intent to file a claim for service connection, which was received by VA on April 29, 2003. The Veteran's hearing loss disability is rated at zero percent (non-compensable) due to his puretone threshold average not meeting the criteria for higher ratings.
- Claimed conditions
- Hearing Loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 0%
- Decision date
- September 10, 2019
- Citation
- A19001212
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 A19001212.
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 service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for hearing loss as there is no current diagnosis of a bilateral hearing disability for VA purposes, and the Veteran did not have a hearing loss disability at any time during or recent to the filing of his claim.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, asthma, and foot conditions, rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation consistent with his education and work history throughout the appeal period.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for hearing loss as there is no current diagnosis of a disability that meets VA's criteria for a disability.
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