The Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date and a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support an earlier effective date, as no increase in disability was shown within one year prior to the March 15, 2017 claim. For the period of appeal, the Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 20 percent.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not show that the Veteran’s hearing loss had increased in severity or manifested symptoms consistent with a higher disability rating within one year prior to his March 15, 2017 claim for an increase. The April 2017 VA audiological examination results supported a 20 percent disability rating under Diagnostic Code 6100.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- August 6, 2019
- Citation
- 19160524
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 19160524.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD, entitlement to TDIU, and SMC based on housebound status.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for asbestosis, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), rhinitis, sinusitis, and asthma. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was also denied a compensable rating.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various disabilities and denied higher ratings for several service-connected conditions.
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