The appeal for a rating in excess of 20 percent for bilateral hearing loss was denied, while the claims for readjudication of previously denied service connection were remanded.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not show that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss had worsened to a degree that warranted a higher rating. The criteria for a rating in excess of 20 percent have not been met at any time during the period for review.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral hearing loss, Bilateral heavy/painful legs, Type II diabetes mellitus, Prostate cancer, Lumbar strain (claimed as back condition), Gastric neoplasm/ulcer (claimed as gastric problems and stomach cancer), Chronic multi-symptom illness
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 28, 2024
- Citation
- A24069347
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, as there was no evidence of a current disability in the right ear and insufficient evidence to establish a nexus between the left ear hearing loss and service.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for Type II diabetes mellitus, finding that it is secondary to the Veteran's service-connected unspecified depressive disorder.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter for a medical clarification regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected epilepsy has aggravated his bilateral hearing loss.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss to obtain an addendum opinion addressing the Veteran's lay statements regarding in-service acoustic trauma and a rocket blast injury.
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