The Veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss has been rated at 40 percent since September 1, 2016. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations showed consistent hearing impairment levels in both ears, which did not warrant an increase to a higher disability rating.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Sensorineural Hearing Loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- January 23, 2020
- Citation
- 20005764
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss due to a duty to assist error regarding an incomplete medical opinion.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss as the evidence did not support a finding of a nexus between the Veteran's current condition and his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter of entitlement to a compensable disability evaluation for service-connected bilateral sensorineural hearing loss due to insufficient evidence.
- Granted
The Board has granted the claim for service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, finding that it was incurred in service based on noise exposure during basic training and Infantry Training School.
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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.