Citation Nr: 21002798 Decision Date: 01/15/21 Archive Date: 01/15/21 DOCKET NO. 17-01 899 DATE: January 15, 2021 ORDER Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted. FINDING OF FACT, The Veteran’s bilateral (left and right ear) hearing loss is attributable to his service, especially to repeated exposure to excessively loud noise and consequent injury (acoustic trauma). CONCLUSION OF LAW The criteria are met for entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss. 38 U.S.C. §§ 1110, 5107; 38 C.F.R. §§ 3.102, 3.303, 3.385.   REASONS AND BASES FOR FINDING AND CONCLUSION The Veteran had active military service September 1995 to March 2003. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted. The Board finds that the weight of the competent and credible, so probative, evidence supports finding that the Veteran’s bilateral hearing loss is the result of acoustic trauma sustained during his service. The Board first points out that he has established that he has this claimed disability. Although a February 2015 VA audiometric examination did not show he had sufficient hearing loss in either ear, so left or right, to satisfy the threshold minimum requirements of 38 C.F.R. § 3.385 to be considered a ratable disability, a more recent February 2017 private audiometric examination did confirm this required level of hearing impairment. There does not appear to be reason to question the validity of this later diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss. Moreover, in May 2017, the Veteran submitted a supporting medical opinion from his private physician indicating it is at least as likely as not the Veteran’s hearing loss was caused by hazardous noise exposure during his service. This commenting clinician had reviewed the pertinent medical records in the Veteran’s VA file before coming to this conclusion, including a service personnel record (SPR) indicating the Veteran was “routinely exposed to hazardous noise” while in service.   The Board consequently concludes that service connection for bilateral hearing loss is warranted since the medical and other evidence supporting the claim is as probative as the evidence against the claim, if not more probative, particularly when also considering that service connection already has been granted for tinnitus (i.e., ringing in the ears) because of the noise trauma during the Veteran’s service. 38 U.S.C. § 5107; 38 C.F.R. § 3.102. KEITH W. ALLEN Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans’ Appeals Attorney for the Board R. Erdheim The Board’s decision in this case is binding only with respect to the instant matter decided. This decision is not precedential and does not establish VA policies or interpretations of general applicability. 38 C.F.R. § 20.1303.