The Board found that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss and bilateral tinnitus are related to his service, specifically his combat experiences in Vietnam and noise exposure during his time in the Army National Guard. As a result, the claims for service connection were granted.
The deciding factor: The December 2009 VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's current right ear hearing loss was consistent with his significant in-service exposure to high intensity sounds as a gunner and artillery instructor in the Army National Guard, and attributed his bilateral tinnitus to his long-term noise exposure during service.
- Claimed conditions
- Right ear hearing loss, Bilateral tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 6, 2010
- Citation
- 1029642
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 1029642.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 20 percent rating for the Veteran's left knee strain, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and service connection for a right ankle disorder. Other claims were denied or remanded.
- Denied
The appeal for higher ratings and effective dates for various conditions was denied, with the exception of left and right lower extremity radiculopathy which were granted an earlier effective date.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a heart disability, granted service connection for bilateral tinnitus and right knee osteochondritis dissecans, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear s/p ACL reconstruction, and denied an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder with generalized anxiety disorder.
- Partly granted
The Board denied a compensable rating for the veteran's right ear hearing loss and an increased rating for his anxiety disorder, but granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) and special monthly compensation effective May 13, 2023.
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