The Veteran's hearing loss was found to be at Level II from July 26, 2012 until October 19, 2014 and Level VII from October 20, 2014. The rating for the period from July 26, 2012 to October 19, 2014 was denied as it did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating. For the period from October 20, 2014, the Veteran's hearing loss warranted a 40 percent rating.
The deciding factor: The Veteran’s pure tone thresholds and speech discrimination scores were consistent throughout his evaluations, but there was significant improvement in word recognition at the July 2012 test. The examiner found no specific deficiency with the July 2012 audiologic examination and no other evidence showed that the Veteran's hearing loss warranted an increased evaluation during the period from July 26, 2012 to October 19, 2014.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 0%
- Decision date
- June 23, 2020
- Citation
- 20042441
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 20042441.
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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.
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