BVA decisions by condition
Hearing loss: BVA grant rates and what wins
From 2017 to 2026, the Board of Veterans' Appeals decided a hearing loss issue in 91,802 decisions. It granted the hearing loss issue in 20.5% of them, close to the 19.4% grant rate for all conditions, denied it in 44.8%, and remanded it in 35.8%. Counting only decisions on the merits (granted or denied), 31.4% were granted.
From Board of Veterans' Appeals decisions: appeals, not VA's first decisions. Issue-level outcomes.
Decisions
91,802
2017–2026
Granted
20.5%
All conditions: 19.4%
Granted on the merits
31.4%
Granted ÷ (granted + denied)
Remanded
35.8%
Denied: 44.8%
At a glance
Evidence in granted and denied hearing loss decisions
For each kind of supporting evidence: how often the Board granted the hearing loss issue on the merits when the decision mentioned it, compared with decisions that did not. These are associations, not causes, and evidence is recorded per decision, not per issue.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Positive nexus opinion | 14,629 | 61.5% | 23.8% | +37.8 pts |
| Claimed as secondary | 1,336 | 50.4% | 31.3% | +19.2 pts |
| Favorable VA exam | 10,425 | 47.7% | 28.5% | +19.1 pts |
| Combat service | 7,963 | 47.6% | 29.7% | +17.9 pts |
| Private medical opinion | 27,475 | 40.7% | 26.6% | +14.1 pts |
| Buddy statement | 2,205 | 44.4% | 31.1% | +13.3 pts |
| Treating physician opinion | 2,443 | 43.6% | 31.1% | +12.5 pts |
| Lay statement | 77,051 | 31.5% | 30.8% | +0.7 pts |
- The Board applied the benefit-of-the-doubt rule (38 CFR 3.102) in 84.0% of the decisions that granted hearing loss.
- The Board found the veteran's statements credible in 62.8% of grants and 20.6% of denials.
Negative evidence in the record
An unfavorable exam or a negative nexus opinion often sits in the same record as favorable evidence, and the Board weighs them against each other. So these rows show how often hearing loss was still granted when the record contained the negative item, not that the item helped.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Negative nexus opinion | 50,436 | 40.2% | 19.3% | +20.9 pts |
| Unfavorable VA exam | 76,429 | 30.9% | 36.8% | −5.9 pts |
Recent hearing loss decisions
Granted
Continuity of symptomatology since service; Presumed incurred in service; Positive treating physician opinion; Inadequate VA opinion
Evidence of in-service acoustic noise trauma conceded by AOJ; Current diagnosis of bilateral sensorineural hearing loss meets VA criteria; Veteran's testimony regarding hearing loss since service found competent and credible; Private medical opinion from Dr. H. provided positive nexus to noise exposure
Evidence evenly balanced to suggest valid diagnosis; Likely manifested during active duty service; At least as likely as not otherwise directly attributable to service
Denied
No diagnosis of hearing loss during service; No competent evidence of current qualifying hearing loss; VA medical opinions found no service connection; Hearing loss unrelated to service
Audiological results from January 2024 and June 2024 examinations.; Results correspond to Level I impairment in both ears under Table IV of 38 C.F.R. § 4.85.; Intersection points under Table VII of 38 C.F.R. § 4.85 indicate a noncompensable rating.
Service treatment records negative for hearing loss complaints or diagnosis during service or at separation.; Multiple VA examinations provided negative nexus opinions, citing long post-service gap, alternative explanations (aging, tumor), and Veteran's reported later onset.; Board found VA opinions probative and persuasive, weighing against causal relationship to service.
Hearing loss claimed as a secondary condition
Decisions where hearing loss was claimed as secondary to another service-connected disability (38 CFR 3.310), by that disability.
Conditions claimed secondary to hearing loss
Other conditions veterans claimed as caused or aggravated by hearing loss, with how often the Board granted them.
Hearing loss outcomes by year
| Year | Issues decided | Granted | Denied | Remanded | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 6,860 | 19.2% | 42.1% | 34.5% | 4.3% |
| 2018 | 11,487 | 20.3% | 41.0% | 36.1% | 2.6% |
| 2019 | 13,663 | 21.2% | 39.6% | 37.6% | 1.6% |
| 2020 | 12,443 | 18.9% | 44.2% | 35.2% | 1.7% |
| 2021 | 10,314 | 18.9% | 42.7% | 36.6% | 1.8% |
| 2022 | 10,204 | 20.5% | 36.9% | 40.8% | 1.7% |
| 2023 | 10,627 | 19.7% | 42.2% | 36.5% | 1.6% |
| 2024 | 10,107 | 18.7% | 49.0% | 30.8% | 1.5% |
| 2025 | 9,428 | 16.4% | 56.9% | 25.1% | 1.6% |
| 2026 | 3,450 | 21.3% | 55.1% | 21.8% | 1.8% |
Each row counts issues (each condition the Board decided), so the shares add up to 100%. Other: dismissed, withdrawn or no clear outcome. Years with fewer than 50 issues are left out.
Why the Board granted or denied hearing loss
Most common reasons in grants
- In-service noise exposure conceded2,898
- Current diagnosis established2,468
- Continuity of symptomatology since service1,055
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service252
- Service records negative or silent181
- Veteran has current bilateral hearing loss156
- Current bilateral hearing loss established135
- In-service noise exposure established130
Most common reasons in denials
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim4,391
- No current diagnosis4,002
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service3,641
- Service records negative or silent2,262
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis2,218
- Current diagnosis established1,263
- No continuity of symptomatology762
- Continuity of symptomatology since service443
Numbers are decisions that gave the reason. Reasons are short phrases extracted by AI from each decision; common wordings of the same reason are grouped. Benefit of the doubt is reported above.
How the Board rates hearing loss
The Board decided 32,889 hearing loss rating issues from 2017 to 2026: it granted a higher rating in 10%, denied one in 59% and sent 29% back for a new exam or more records.
By diagnostic code
The codes the Board rated hearing loss under, most used first. “Granted on the merits” leaves out remands. The last column is the percent the Board assigned most often when it granted a higher rating.
| Code | Issues | Granted on the merits | Remanded | Most common rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6100 | 5,245 | 7.6% | 2.4% | 10% (37% of grants) |
| 7804 | 119 | 16.0% | 21.0% | 70% (100% of grants) |
| 7522 | 71 | 18.4% | 31.0% | – |
| 5284 | 47 | 14.7% | 25.5% | – |
| 6260 | 36 | – | 58.3% | – |
| 7346 | 35 | 10.0% | 14.3% | – |
26,842 issues named no diagnostic code, most of them remands.
Ratings the Board assigned
Share of each percent among the 875 grants that stated one.
- 0%0.8%
- 10%33.0%
- 20%17.3%
- 30%14.5%
- 40%11.7%
- 50%6.4%
- 60%3.7%
- 70%4.1%
- 80%3.1%
- 90%1.0%
- 100%4.5%
Why the Board granted a higher rating
- benefit of the doubt / evidence in equipoise1,429
- criteria for the rating met or more nearly approximated204
- criteria for a higher rating not met75
- resolving doubt in veteran's favor44
- conceded in-service noise exposure42
- in-service noise exposure conceded32
Why the Board denied one
- criteria for a higher rating not met7,160
- benefit of the doubt / evidence in equipoise694
- criteria for the rating met or more nearly approximated446
- preponderance of evidence against claim403
- no exceptional pattern of hearing impairment shown258
- painful motion, functional loss or flare-ups253
Evidence in rating grants and denials
How often the Board granted a higher hearing loss rating on the merits when the decision mentioned each kind of evidence, against decisions that did not. Associations, not causes.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Favorable VA exam | 4,355 | 29.7% | 10.8% | +18.9 pts |
| Treating physician opinion | 971 | 20.6% | 14.0% | +6.6 pts |
| Private medical opinion | 9,429 | 18.1% | 12.3% | +5.7 pts |
| Lay statement | 25,797 | 14.1% | 14.8% | −0.7 pts |
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unfavorable VA exam | 24,837 | 13.7% | 18.8% | −5.2 pts |
The Board applied the benefit of the doubt (38 CFR 3.102) in 67.6% of the decisions that granted a higher rating.
Recent rating decisions
Higher rating granted
Evidence evenly balanced to suggest valid diagnosis; Likely manifested during active duty service; At least as likely as not otherwise directly attributable to service
Veteran's lay statements credible and consistent with service; VA examiner's negative nexus opinion insufficient; Benefit of the doubt applied to grant service connection
Current disability met VA criteria (4000 Hz at 40 dB); In-service occurrence conceded due to MOS and hazardous noise exposure; Nexus found due to continuous complaints and no post-service noise exposure
Denied
Audiometric testing showed Level IV designation bilaterally.; Level IV designation equates to 10 percent disability rating under DC 6100.; Evidence did not support exceptional pattern of hearing impairment or higher rating.
No medical evidence of record for the time frame in question prior to May 2022.; Lay evidence did not pinpoint a specific earlier date for worsening of disability.; Audiometric findings from June 2023 were consistent with a noncompensable rating.
VA audiological examination results calculated to Level II (right ear) and Level IV (left ear) impairment.; Speech discrimination scores of 86% (right) and 82% (left) were within normal limits for rating purposes.; Private audiogram deemed inadequate for rating purposes.; Functional impairments reported by the Veteran are contemplated by the schedular criteria.
Rules that apply to hearing loss claims
- 38 CFR 4.85
Evaluation of hearing impairment
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 4.87 · DC 6100
Schedule of ratings: ear
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.385
Disability due to impaired hearing
Read it in VA Law Explorer - M21-1 V.iii.2.B.1
Service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus, incl. Guard and Reserve duty
Read it in VA Law Explorer - M21-1 V.iii.2.B.2
Evaluating hearing impairment: definition, test methods, exceptional patterns
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.303
Principles of service connection
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.310
Secondary service connection and aggravation
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.102
Reasonable doubt (benefit of the doubt)
Read it in VA Law Explorer
Research your hearing loss case
Narrow by year, judge, evidence or secondary condition, read the decisions, and export a research memo.
How these numbers are calculated
- Rates count decisions in which the Board decided a hearing loss issue, by the outcome of that issue. Other issues in the same decision can have different outcomes.
- “Granted on the merits” leaves out remands and dismissals. “All conditions” is the grant share across every condition issue in the data.
- The data comes from CaseScribe's AI extraction of public BVA decisions (2017–2026) and can contain errors. It is updated automatically as new decisions are added.
Where this data comes from
- Claim
- Regional office decides
- Veteran appeals
- Board decides
- Granted · Denied · Remanded: back to the regional office
Board of Veterans' Appeals decisions show how VA's highest review body applies 38 CFR and weighs evidence on contested claims.
Each one is an appeal: a regional office decided the claim first, and the veteran appealed. So these rates describe the Board, not a veteran's odds at the regional office, where most claims are decided and whose decisions are not public.
More on what Board decisions can and cannot tell you