The Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss has been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of in-service noise exposure or a nexus to service.,For deviated nasal septum, prior to June 22, 2016, the Veteran was granted an initial noncompensable rating. From June 22, 2016 onwards, he is now rated at 10 percent due to complete obstruction of one nostril while sleeping.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not establish that the left ear hearing loss began during service or was related to any in-service injury or disease.,From June 22, 2016 onwards, the Veteran's deviated nasal septum is characterized by complete obstruction on one side while sleeping. This meets the criteria for a 10 percent rating under Diagnostic Code 6502.
- Claimed conditions
- Left ear hearing loss, Deviated nasal septum
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 6, 2020
- Citation
- 20000382
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,316 · Granted: 43% (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 20000382.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss disability does not meet or approximate criteria for a compensable (10%) disability rating at any point during the appeal period.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for right ear hearing loss and service connection for left ear hearing loss due to inadequate audiometric examinations. The Veteran will be scheduled for new VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his left ear hearing loss and the severity of his hearing loss.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's liver disability has not resulted in any compensable symptoms, as he had a previous history of liver disease but is currently asymptomatic.,The Veteran's left ear hearing loss has been rated at noncompensable level due to the absence of more than Level I hearing acuity.
- Granted
The Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) from August 6, 2008 due to the Veteran's service-connected right knee disability.
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