The Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation of 40 percent or more for service-connected bilateral hearing loss since December 3, 2018 is granted. The claim prior to that date remains denied.
The deciding factor: The December 2018 audiometric results showed sufficient hearing impairment to warrant a 40% evaluation, and the Veteran's exceptional pattern of hearing loss under 38 C.F.R. § 4.86 (a) further supports this rating.
- Claimed conditions
- Hearing Impairment
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- March 12, 2019
- Citation
- 19117852
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,874 · Granted: 33% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19117852.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected right vestibular disorder, characterized by hearing impairment with attacks of vertigo and cerebellar gait occurring more than once weekly, is granted a rating of 100 percent.
- Granted
The Board has granted a 100% rating for the Veteran's ear disability encompassing hearing impairment and vertigo, effective April 7, 2021. The separate rating for bilateral hearing loss is discontinued from the same date.
- Granted
The Veteran's vertigo condition was evaluated under Diagnostic Code 6204 and rated at a 30 percent disability rating effective December 6, 2012. The Veteran experienced dizziness with occasional staggering.
- Denied
The RO denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss in February 2004, and did not receive new and material evidence to reopen this claim.
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