The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss disability but denied service connection for right ear hearing loss disability.
The deciding factor: The Veteran reported and provided credible testimony regarding the onset of decreased hearing acuity in service, which was not addressed by any medical opinion. The VA examiner found that there was no significant permanent shift in hearing thresholds beyond test variability from entrance to separation, but conceded noise exposure as a cause for auditory damage.
- Claimed conditions
- left ear hearing loss disability, right ear hearing loss disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 26, 2020
- Citation
- 20056520
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 20056520.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claims for service connection have been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for left ear hearing loss disability is dismissed. The Board has remanded the claims for service connection of left and right knee disabilities due to a lack of medical nexus opinions regarding pre-service conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding service connection for a left ear hearing loss disability. The Veteran's pre-existing condition is presumed, and the VA examiner needs to provide an opinion on whether the increase in severity of his hearing loss during service was clearly and unmistakably due to natural progression.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected PTSD and hearing loss disability required hospitalization at a VA Medical Center for more than 21 days, leading to the grant of a temporary total evaluation. Service connection was also granted for left ear nerve damage.
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