The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected peripheral vestibular disorder was granted, with a 30% disability rating effective July 12, 2019. The claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss from October 31, 2006 to June 6, 2012 was denied, and the Veteran received a 20% disability rating for BHL from June 7, 2012 until August 21, 2017. The claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss after August 22, 2017 was denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected peripheral vestibular disorder manifested by dizziness and occasional staggering warranted a 30% disability rating under Diagnostic Code 6204. For the period from October 31, 2006 to June 6, 2012, his bilateral hearing loss was rated as noncompensable due to pure tone thresholds of 55 decibels or more in at least one ear. From June 7, 2012 until August 21, 2017, the Veteran's BHL warranted a 20% disability rating based on his November 2016 audiometric evaluation results. After this period, his BHL was rated as 40% disabling due to his February 2019 audiometric evaluation results.
- Claimed conditions
- Peripheral Vestibular Disorder, Bilateral Hearing Loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- July 12, 2019
- Citation
- 19154073
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,249 · Granted: 37% (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 19154073.
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 bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The issue remains under direct service connection theory.
- Denied
The Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 30 percent, the highest non-compensable rating available. The Board found that his hearing loss did not warrant a higher rating based on VA examinations and medical records.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current hearing loss and his active service. The Board noted that while he had complaints of earaches in service, these did not indicate a current disability.
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