The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability is granted, with the Board finding that his current left knee disability is related to in-service parachute jumps. The claim for service connection for tinnitus is also granted, as the Board found credible the Veteran's account of exposure to noise trauma during service and accepted this evidence under the relaxed evidentiary standards afforded combat veterans.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner provided an opinion that the current left knee disability is at least as likely as not related to in-service parachute jumps, which are considered a form of combat exposure. The Veteran's credible account of noise trauma during service was accepted by the Board under the relaxed evidentiary standards for combat veterans.
- Claimed conditions
- left knee disability, tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 28, 2013
- Citation
- 1302958
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 1302958.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
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