The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, as there was no evidence of in-service noise exposure or a diagnosis of hearing loss during service. The VA examiner concluded it was less likely than not that the Veteran's hearing loss occurred due to acoustic trauma, while the private audiologist opined that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus were more likely caused by his in-service noise exposure.
The deciding factor: The Board found the November 2008 VA examination report to be more probative than the July 2009 report of the Veteran's private audiologist, as it considered various factors including the Veteran's post-service noise exposure and asymmetric nature of hearing loss.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 22, 2010
- Citation
- 1043885
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 1043885.
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.
- 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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