The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing impairment and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by his period of active military service, nor could they be presumed to have been incurred therein. The evidence did not establish a nexus between the Veteran's current conditions and his military service.
The deciding factor: The VA audiologist concluded that it is not at least as likely as not that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was caused by or a result of an event in service, based on her examination and interview of the Veteran and review of the record. The examiner reasoned that the Veteran passed a whisper test at enlistment and discharge, and his current hearing loss was more likely due to unprotected civilian noise exposure and aging.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing impairment, tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 17, 2012
- Citation
- 1231853
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 1231853.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
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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