The Board has granted service connection for residuals of an injury to the mouth, finding that it is as likely as not related to service. Bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied due to lack of in-service evidence or continuity of symptomatology.
The deciding factor: Service treatment records are silent for any complaints or diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus. The Veteran's separation examination showed normal hearing acuity, and there is no medical evidence showing that these conditions manifested within one year following service discharge. For the residuals of an injury to the mouth, the Board granted service connection based on a lay statement describing in-service trauma.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, Residuals of an Injury to the Mouth
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 30, 2011
- Citation
- 1124875
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 1124875.
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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