The Board granted a 30 percent rating for bilateral hearing loss from February 6, 2018 to May 21, 2023 and denied ratings in excess of 40 percent thereafter.
The deciding factor: The evidence showed the Veteran's disability manifested as at worst Level VII in the right ear and Level VI in the left ear, consistent with a 30 percent rating from February 6, 2018 to May 21, 2023. From May 22, 2023, audiology testing shows the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss manifested as Level VII hearing loss bilaterally, consistent with a 40 percent rating.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Ear Disability characterized by ear discharge, Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- April 1, 2025
- Citation
- 25004351
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 105 · Granted: 19% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 25004351.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
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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