The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was initially evaluated at 20 percent prior to October 7, 2015 and at 40 percent thereafter. The Board denied higher ratings for the disability.,No effective date is provided as the decision pertains to a denial of increased ratings.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's hearing acuity did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under VA’s rating schedule, which requires a mechanical application based on audiometric test results. The Board found that the current assigned ratings were appropriate given the Veteran's hearing acuity levels.,The decision does not provide specific reasoning beyond stating that the current assigned ratings were appropriate.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 24, 2020
- Citation
- 20049474
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 20049474.
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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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