The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for bilateral tinnitus and finds that new and material evidence has been submitted. The Veteran's current tinnitus is found to be related to his in-service noise exposure, placing the appeal in equipoise as to whether it was incurred or aggravated by service.
The deciding factor: The Board found the Veteran's statements regarding his symptoms since service credible, given his exposure to noise during service and his already established service connection for hearing loss due to such exposure. The relative absence of any prolonged post-service excessive noise exposure without ear protection is noted.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 3, 2009
- Citation
- 0941757
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 0941757.
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.
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The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left toe amputation, triple bypass surgery, blockage in legs, and bilateral tinnitus due to procedural errors and the need for additional medical opinions regarding potential exposure to toxins during service.
- Granted
The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is granted as secondary to his service-connected major depressive disorder.,The Veteran's bilateral tinnitus is granted based on in-service noise exposure and current diagnosis.,The Veteran's Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is granted due to presumptive service connection for exposure at Fort McClellan, Alabama.,The Veteran's status post total shoulder replacement, to include degenerative arthritis, is granted as incurred in service.,The Veteran's scar, residual right shoulder surgery, is granted as it is related to his now service-connected status post total shoulder replacement.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for bilateral tinnitus and normocytic anemia as secondary to service-connected chronic hemorrhoids. The claim of entitlement to service connection for left inguinal hernia is remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are causally related to his in-service hazardous noise exposure. The Board considered the Veteran's credible testimony regarding the onset of these conditions during service.
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