The Board denied service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability as the evidence did not support a finding that it was incurred in or aggravated by service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found no significant permanent shift in hearing thresholds beyond test variability from entrance to separation during active-duty periods, and there was clear and unmistakable evidence that a right ear hearing loss disability preexisted service and was not aggravated by service.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral hearing loss disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 12, 2024
- Citation
- A24073507
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.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus due to a lack of jurisdiction.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability as the evidence did not support a nexus between the disability and service.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a heart disability, granted service connection for bilateral tinnitus and right knee osteochondritis dissecans, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear s/p ACL reconstruction, and denied an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder with generalized anxiety disorder.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus to correct pre-decisional errors in fulfilling its duty to assist the appellant with the development of his claims.
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