The Veteran's claims for compensable initial ratings for left-ear hearing loss and deviated septum status post-repair were denied as there was no evidence of the required severity to warrant a higher rating.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not meet the criteria for any of the higher disability ratings under the applicable rating schedule, specifically due to lack of obstruction in either nasal passage or hearing loss levels that would warrant a compensable rating.
- Claimed conditions
- left-ear hearing loss, deviated septum status post-repair
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 13, 2019
- Citation
- 19162313
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 19162313.
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 left-ear hearing loss, finding a nexus between the Veteran's in-service noise exposure and his current hearing loss.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for left-ear hearing loss and remanded the issue of right-ear hearing loss due to noise exposure during service.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims as it lacks jurisdiction due to improper filing of an appeal under the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act (AMA). The Veteran needs to file a proper Notice of Disagreement within one year from the notification of the January 2019 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied service connection for left-ear hearing loss and has remanded the issue of right-ear hearing loss due to insufficient evidence.
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