The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence indicating intent to file a claim prior to August 23, 2022.,The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied because his hearing loss did not meet the criteria for any higher rating under VA regulations.,The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for a left eye disability (MALT lymphoma left eye with cataracts) was denied as there were no incapacitating episodes due to this condition during the appeal period.
The deciding factor: The effective date of an award based on an original claim for compensation benefits shall be the date of receipt of the claim or the date entitlement arose, whichever is later. The Veteran's intent to file a claim was received on August 23, 2022, and his formal claim was filed on June 27, 2023.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss did not meet the criteria for any higher rating under VA regulations as it did not exceed Level I in either ear. The Veteran is service-connected for this condition but the current evaluation does not warrant a compensable rating.,There were no incapacitating episodes due to the Veteran's left eye disability during the appeal period, and his visual acuity was 20/40 bilaterally with no other impairments.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, MALT lymphoma left eye with cataracts
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 11, 2024
- Citation
- A24031055
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 A24031055.
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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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