The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and granted service connection. The veteran's claims for increased ratings for various disabilities, including otitis externa, muscle injuries, and scars, have been denied.
The deciding factor: The evidence received since the October 1990 decision includes medical opinions linking the veteran's current hearing loss to combat noise exposure during active service, which raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim for service connection. The veteran's service-connected otitis externa is not manifested by any active symptoms or pathology.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, otitis externa, muscle injury residuals of a shell fragment wound (SFW) to right lumbar area with low back pain, muscle injury residuals of a SFW to the right hand, scar as a residual of a SFW to the right hand, muscle injury residuals of a SFW to the left thigh, scar as a residual of a SFW to the left thigh
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 15, 2008
- Citation
- 0815943
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Partly granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted, while fibromyalgia, internal or external hemorrhoids, bilateral hearing loss, and neuropathy are denied.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding it at least as likely as not related to the Veteran's in-service noise exposure.
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