The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been reopened, but the evidence does not establish a link between his current hearing loss and in-service noise exposure. Service connection is therefore denied.,Service connection was denied for hypothyroidism as there is no evidence of its onset during service or within one year thereafter. The Veteran's claim for residuals of squamous cell carcinoma has also been denied due to lack of a diagnosis in service or soon after discharge.,The Veteran's Peyronie’s disease claim remains pending, with the Board finding that current evidence does not support a diagnosis in service or shortly after separation from active duty.,Service connection was denied for allergic rhinitis as there is no evidence of obstruction meeting the criteria set forth in VA's rating schedule. The Veteran's request for an increased disability rating remains pending.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran’s current bilateral hearing loss is related to his military service, as there was no documented hearing loss during service and no continuity of symptoms post-service.,There is insufficient evidence to establish that hypothyroidism or squamous cell carcinoma began in service. The Veteran's service records do not indicate any diagnosis of these conditions within the applicable presumptive period.,The Board found conflicting medical records regarding whether the Veteran has Peyronie’s disease, but concluded that even if he does have it, there is no evidence linking its onset to his military service.,There was insufficient evidence to meet the criteria for a compensable disability rating under DC 6522 for allergic rhinitis.
- Claimed conditions
- Allergic Rhinitis, Bilateral Hearing Loss, Hypothyroidism, Migraine Headaches, Peyronie’s Disease, Residuals of Squamous Cell Carcinoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 3, 2019
- Citation
- 19190564
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,569 · Granted: 26% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19190564.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- 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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current hearing loss and his active service. The Board noted that while he had complaints of earaches in service, these did not indicate a current disability.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.