The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and TDIU due to service-connected disabilities. The evidence did not support a finding that his hearing loss began during service or was related to in-service noise exposure, and he failed to meet the criteria for a TDIU based on his service-connected conditions.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner's opinion supported by other medical evidence concluded that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is not related to service. The combined rating of his service-connected disabilities did not meet the schedular requirements for a TDIU, and he failed to provide substantial evidence showing he was unemployable due to his service-connected conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), left shoulder osteoarthritis, right shoulder pain, degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, left and right knee osteoarthritis, diabetic neuropathy of the right lower extremity, tinnitus, allergic rhinitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 90%
- Decision date
- October 7, 2021
- Citation
- 21062470
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,020 · Granted: 19% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 21062470.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder and PTSD. The Veteran will be asked to provide additional medical records and undergo a VA examination.
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