The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability as there was no current disability that met VA criteria. Other issues were remanded for further development.
The deciding factor: There is no medical confirmation of a current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss disability in accordance with VA regulations, and the Veteran's assertions are outweighed by the lack of evidence supporting his claim.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss disability, PTSD, lumbosacral strain (lumbar spine disability), left ankle disability, right knee disability, right shoulder disability, respiratory disability (chronic cough), obstructive sleep apnea, migraine headaches
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 29, 2024
- Citation
- 24004312
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 obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder to ensure a proper examination and etiology opinion are provided.
- Granted
The Veteran's migraine headaches were granted a 50 percent disability rating, effective August 8, 2023, due to very frequent completely prostrating and prolonged attacks that are productive of severe economic inadaptability.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for PTSD, generalized anxiety disorder, and somatic symptom disorder, as well as presumptive service connection for basal cell carcinoma under the PACT Act. Service connection was denied for chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, right restless leg syndrome, left restless leg syndrome, an increased rating for psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, a left forehead surgical scar, and allergic rhinitis.
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