The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's right ear did not meet VA criteria for a disability due to hearing impairment. The left ear was found to have no evidence of etiological link to military noise exposure.,Service connection for tinnitus was granted based on the Veteran's report of ringing in his ears beginning during service and continuing since then.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not meet the regulatory criteria for a disability due to hearing impairment, as none of his audiometric data met the threshold levels set forth by VA regulations. The evidence also failed to show that his current left ear hearing loss was at least as likely as not related to military noise exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, Head Injury Residuals
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 12, 2019
- Citation
- 19170590
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 19170590.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- 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.
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