The Board has determined that the veteran's pre-existing hearing loss did not worsen during service, but his current back injury is considered to have been incurred as a result of military service. The claim for hearing loss was denied due to lack of aggravation, while the claim for back injury was granted based on continuity of symptoms since service.
The deciding factor: The veteran's pre-existing hearing loss did not undergo an increase in disability during service, and thus cannot be considered service-connected. However, his current back injury is considered to have been incurred as a result of military service due to the continuity of symptoms since service.
- Claimed conditions
- Hearing Loss, Back Injury
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 14, 2007
- Citation
- 0707650
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 0707650.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for hearing loss as there is no current diagnosis of a bilateral hearing disability for VA purposes, and the Veteran did not have a hearing loss disability at any time during or recent to the filing of his claim.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, asthma, and foot conditions, rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation consistent with his education and work history throughout the appeal period.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for hearing loss as there is no current diagnosis of a disability that meets VA's criteria for a disability.
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