The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss did not begin during service and is not presumed to have been incurred therein. The evidence does not support a finding of current tinnitus or headaches, nor does it establish a link between any diagnosed conditions and service.
The deciding factor: Right ear hearing loss was first noted many years after service separation, and there is no medical evidence linking the condition to service. Tinnitus and headaches were not diagnosed during service or within one year post-service, and there is insufficient evidence to support a nexus with service.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, Headaches, Back Disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 16, 2009
- Citation
- 0947562
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 0947562.
What this means for you
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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.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The issue remains under direct service connection theory.
- Denied
The Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 30 percent, the highest non-compensable rating available. The Board found that his hearing loss did not warrant a higher rating based on VA examinations and medical records.
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