The Board denied service connection for right ear hearing loss, concluding that the Veteran's current hearing loss is not causally related to in-service noise exposure and more likely due to natural aging or post-service occupational noise exposure.
The deciding factor: A VA audiologist concluded it was less likely than not that the Veteran’s current right ear hearing loss was caused by service, based on normal hearing acuity during active duty and no evidence of onset within one year of separation.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Ear Hearing Loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 13, 2020
- Citation
- 20065970
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.
- Partly granted
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, except for a 20 percent rating for lumbosacral strain.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, except for remanding certain service connection claims.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an increased rating of 70 percent for PTSD from September 27, 2022, and denied the claims for a compensable rating for urethral injury with urinary incontinence and right ear hearing loss. The claim for service connection for chronic headaches as secondary to the right shoulder was also granted.
- Dismissed
The appeal for several conditions, including insomnia, hypertension, and various disabilities, was dismissed due to procedural issues.
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