The Veteran's appeal for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied, and his claim for TDIU was granted.
The deciding factor: The Veteran’s hearing loss did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under VA regulations. His MDD and trigeminal neuralgia symptoms prevented him from securing or maintaining employment.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Sarcoidosis with obstructive sleep apnea, Major depressive disorder (MDD), Type II diabetes mellitus, Bilateral tinnitus, Splenic infarction
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 0%
- Decision date
- October 29, 2019
- Citation
- 19181997
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 Type II diabetes mellitus, finding that it is secondary to the Veteran's service-connected unspecified depressive disorder.
- 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.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.