The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss was denied. Prior to December 9, 2019, the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating (prior to that date he had Level I and II hearing in both ears). From December 9, 2019 onwards, he met the criteria for a 10 percent disability evaluation.
The deciding factor: The audiometric results showed that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss did not meet the criteria for a higher rating prior to December 9, 2019 and from that date onwards it was rated as 10 percent disabling based on the combination of his left ear Level III and right ear Level V hearing.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- December 23, 2020
- Citation
- 20080754
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD, entitlement to TDIU, and SMC based on housebound status.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for asbestosis, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), rhinitis, sinusitis, and asthma. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was also denied a compensable rating.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various disabilities and denied higher ratings for several service-connected conditions.
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