The Veteran's current bilateral sensorineural hearing loss is related to active duty service and the claim for this condition is granted. The Board finds that a grant of service connection for tinnitus, cervical spine disorder (DDD of the cervical spine), and left knee disorder (claimed as left knee patellar tendonitis and Osgood-Schlatter's disease) is warranted based on service incurrence.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's current bilateral sensorineural hearing loss was related to active duty service. For tinnitus, the Board found that it could be attributed to noise exposure in service. The cervical spine disorder and left knee disorder were also related to service due to continuity of symptomatology and service incurrence.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, cervical spine disorder (DDD of cervical spine), left knee disorder (claimed as left knee patellar tendonitis and Osgood-Schlatter's disease)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 21, 2011
- Citation
- 1146572
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 1146572.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- 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.
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