The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus and low back disability are related to his service, with the tinnitus likely due to acoustic trauma during combat in Vietnam and the low back disability linked to an incident involving a drop from a helicopter. The claim for service connection is granted.
The deciding factor: The VA Compensation Examination found no evidence of noise exposure causing tinnitus in service but noted that the Veteran's account of acoustic trauma was consistent with his combat duty. For the low back disability, private medical records linked it to an incident involving a drop from a helicopter during service.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, low back disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 15, 2010
- Citation
- 1014291
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 1014291.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of foot disability and cardiovascular disorder are remanded for additional development.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran experienced tinnitus during his active duty service.
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