The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. After reviewing all evidence, including VA and private medical records, the Board finds that there is sufficient evidence to establish a link between the Veteran's current hearing loss and his military service. The Veteran served in an active duty role as a medical specialist and legal clerk, which may have exposed him to noise during his time in the Army. However, the evidence does not show any specific incidents of acoustic trauma or treatment for hearing issues during service. As such, the Board concludes that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to his military service.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence shows a history of hearing impairment dating back to active duty service and establishes a link between the Veteran's current condition and his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 0%
- Decision date
- February 16, 2010
- Citation
- 1005610
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 1005610.
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.
- 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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