The Veteran's initial claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to June 12, 2014 was denied.,An initial 20 percent rating for bilateral hearing loss effective from June 12, 2014 to October 13, 2019 was granted.,The Veteran's claim for a higher rating than 20 percent for his bilateral hearing loss after June 12, 2014 was denied.,The Veteran's claim for TDIU due to service-connected disabilities was also denied.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not meet the criteria for an initial compensable rating prior to June 12, 2014. The effective date of a compensable rating is based on when the disability first manifested.,Resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran, the Board found that his bilateral hearing loss warranted a 20 percent rating from June 12, 2014 to October 13, 2019. The effective date for this increased rating is based on when the disability first manifested.,The evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher than 20 percent rating after June 12, 2014. The Veteran's hearing loss was considered to be at level V in both ears from that time forward.,The Veteran does not meet the eligibility requirements of 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(a) and the evidence did not establish that his service-connected disabilities precluded him from engaging in substantially gainful employment.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- July 27, 2022
- Citation
- 22042512
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 22042512.
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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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