The Board denied service connection for right ear hearing loss and an initial compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, finding no current disability of either condition at any time during the appeal period.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not have a diagnosed disability of right ear hearing loss at any point during the appeal period. The VA examiner found that his right ear hearing loss was related to in-service noise exposure but failed to meet the criteria for a diagnosis under VA regulations. For left ear hearing loss, while audiometric testing showed some degree of impairment, it did not meet the threshold for a compensable rating.
- Claimed conditions
- Right ear hearing loss, Left ear hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 14, 2020
- Citation
- 20054156
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 20054156.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to insufficient evidence and need for additional examinations.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for a right ear hearing loss disability is dismissed. The appeal for service connection for bilateral knee disabilities is denied.
- 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.
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