The Board denied service connection for right ear hearing loss and Meniere's disease, finding that the Veteran did not have these conditions during his period of active duty or within a year after discharge. The Board also found no evidence linking these conditions to service.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations consistently showed normal audiometric results and no diagnosis of hearing loss in either ear. There was no documented history of Meniere's disease in service, and the Veteran did not present with symptoms consistent with this condition until after discharge.
- Claimed conditions
- right ear hearing loss, Meniere's disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 27, 2020
- Citation
- 20069673
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.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for right ear hearing loss, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor based on a finding of etiological relation to in-service noise exposure.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for Meniere's disease, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran and finding that his Meniere's disease was caused by acoustic trauma during military service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including left foot condition, right foot condition, cellulitis, right ear hearing loss, and right lower extremity radiculopathy. The appeal of the proposal to reduce a 40 percent evaluation for lumbosacral strain was dismissed.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.