The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral eye condition and bilateral hearing loss was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of in-service incurrence or aggravation, despite the Veteran's statements about symptoms during service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran’s hearing loss is less likely related to service due to other factors, but noted that his hearing indeed degraded during service. The Board found that there was sufficient evidence to warrant service connection for bilateral hearing loss.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral eye condition (pinguecula, immature cataracts, hypertensive retinopathy grade 1), bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 23, 2019
- Citation
- 19105593
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 withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Partly granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted, while fibromyalgia, internal or external hemorrhoids, bilateral hearing loss, and neuropathy are denied.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding it at least as likely as not related to the Veteran's in-service noise exposure.
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