The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, while his back and knee disabilities are not. The claim for a back disability is denied as there is no evidence of in-service injury or chronic condition within one year after discharge. The claims for left and right knee disabilities are also denied due to lack of evidence showing an in-service injury.
The deciding factor: The VA audiologist found that the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus were related to his military service exposure, while the VA examiner did not find a nexus between the back or knee conditions and service. The Board considered the lay statements from the Veteran and his witnesses regarding continuity of symptoms since service.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, back disability, left knee disability, right knee disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 28, 2012
- Citation
- 1244111
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 1244111.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess his bilateral knee and hip disabilities.
- 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.
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