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hutsky wrote:

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Irishking,

It is not clear exactly the nature or the documentation you reference but it they are official records they would likely establish service connection for hearing loss.  It is not clear when you speak of questionnaires or the meaning of  "he scored 100% in hearing loss."  Normally if a hearing loss occurs and is documented while in service then service connection is granted.  If some event occured while while in service, such as a head injury, that can likely be attributed to current loss then service connection will also be granted.

I do not agree with the contention that an individual must be almost deaf to receive compensation for hearing loss.  I have been rated from 10% to 100% and many of the intermediate rates.  It is true that the loss must be profound in both ears to be rated at 100 and profound in one or moderate loss in both to receive a 10% rating.  The levels inbetween represent some progression but they do exist at every increment of 10.  I can attest to the fact that there are differences.  Word recognition does usually play a role but when the loss in an ear into high or exceptional loss ranges it is rated both with and without word recognition and assigned the higher of the two.

Sorry Hutsky for not having set it out in a clearer manner. My reference was to hearing loss documentation, including completed questionnaires, during the years after military service and test results performed by private hearing aid dealers over the decades leading up to the present day.  I believe those decades of records show that my hearing loss did not have a date of onset in old age but at an early age pointing back to my days in the service when smashed on the head with a fire extinguisher.   In my view the connection is apparent.

Maybe I am an exception but I struggled for years after the military service to avoid wearing hearing aids.  Why?   Because I did not want to outwardly appear handicapped and turn people off, including prospective employers and business clients. I had various people even yell at me in public "Go get some hearing aids!"  Thus, I went through a lot of stress to struggle to try to hear and understand people until I finally said to myself  "Enough is enough.  I need to get some hearing aids."  My wife was also totally frustrated with my hearing loss and many times thought that I was just not paying attention to her.   Even wearing hearing aids, she still frequently feels tuned out.  I still struggle to hear and she struggles to make me understand.  Hearing aids indeed have their limits and drawbacks when one's hearing loss is severe in both ears.

Since there could be an irretrievable breakdown in our marriage due to lack of reciprocal communication,  guess I would have to tell a Judge "Your Honor,  I simply cannot hear and understand my wife.   I cannot even hear and listen to all of her complaints.   It has been a thankless situation.    She will blame it all on me too.  No doubt about it.  Marriage counseling would be pointless Your Honor, so please GRANT us a summary divorce before we leave your court room today.  We could both use it.   VA also cannot really help in this matter.  The VA Audiologist indicated that my wife is more the victim as a result of my severe and profound loss of hearing."

Hutsky
If getting smashed in the head with a heavy fire extinguisher while in the service is deemed to be insufficient evidence to prove hearing loss, then I shall quit. There is no possible way that I can establish decapitation.

Perhaps I can attempt to do an accident reconstruction to demonstrate to the examiner what actually happened.  Will the examiner view a videotape?