The Board denied a compensable disability rating for the service-connected bilateral hearing loss and remanded claims for service connection, increased rating, TDIU, and secondary service connection.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support assignment of a higher rating for the service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability based on puretone threshold averages and speech discrimination scores from various examinations. The Board also found no basis for an extraschedular rating.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral hearing loss, Heart disability (to include supraventricular arrhythmia), Atrial fibrillation/supraventricular arrhythmia, Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 14, 2025
- Citation
- A25043085
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 PTSD, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor and finding that his PTSD is related to an in-service military sexual trauma (MST) during a period of ACDUTRA.
- 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matters for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and conducting VA examinations.
- 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.
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