The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, as there was no evidence of a hearing disability for VA purposes on separation from service or within one year of separation. The Board also noted that the Veteran did not have sensorineural hearing loss caused by noise exposure in the early 1960s.
The deciding factor: The medical opinion provided by the VA otolaryngologist concluded that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not related to his in-service acoustic trauma, as there was no evidence of a conductive hearing loss prior to the 1990s. The post-service right ear symptomatology, including perforated right ear drum and related surgeries, are also not related to his in-service noise exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 31, 2013
- Citation
- 1303272
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 1303272.
What this means for you
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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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