The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not service-connected, as they occurred many years after service. The compensable rating for suppurative otitis media is also denied.
The deciding factor: The medical opinion concluded that the veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus were consistent with presbycusis (hearing loss due to aging) and did not result from events occurring during active duty, including exposure to noise in service.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Sensorineural Hearing Loss, Bilateral Tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 20, 2002
- Citation
- 0201660
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 0201660.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral tinnitus was granted with a 10% disability rating effective October 30, 2020. The Board found that the earliest date of application for this claim is November 25, 2019.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral tinnitus disabilities, finding that these conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including persistent depressive disorder, migraines, tinnitus, and bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and occupational history.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for bilateral tinnitus is dismissed as he has withdrawn his appeal.,The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to May 3, 2006, is denied.,The Veteran's claim for a disability rating of 10 percent, but no higher, for bilateral hearing loss from May 3, 2006, to November 2, 2023, is granted.,The Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss from November 3, 2023, and continuing, is denied.,The Veteran's claim for Total Disability Rating Based on Unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities is granted.
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