The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied as he does not have a current disability.,Service connection is granted for the Veteran's low back disability, which had its inception during active duty. The condition is secondary to medications used to treat his service-connected migraines and orthopedic disabilities.,The Veteran's gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is also granted as service connected, with the condition being secondary to medications for his service-connected migraine headaches and orthopedic conditions.
The deciding factor: There was no evidence of a current bilateral hearing loss disability meeting VA criteria for a disability under section 3.385.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Low Back Disability, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 12, 2022
- Citation
- 22008204
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 22008204.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The issue remains under direct service connection theory.
- Denied
The Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 30 percent, the highest non-compensable rating available. The Board found that his hearing loss did not warrant a higher rating based on VA examinations and medical records.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current hearing loss and his active service. The Board noted that while he had complaints of earaches in service, these did not indicate a current disability.
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