The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss from March 31, 2015 is denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher evaluation as the audiometric findings did not meet the criteria for an exceptional pattern of hearing impairment.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's audiometric results did not meet the criteria for an exceptional pattern of hearing impairment (puretone thresholds of 55 dB or more at 1000, 2000, 3000 and 4000 Hz in each ear; or puretone threshold of 30 dB or less at 1000 Hz and 70 dB or more at 2000 Hz in each ear).
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 27, 2019
- Citation
- 19166217
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 19166217.
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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