The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his service, as there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and noise exposure in service. The Veteran's current hearing loss was noted on separation examination but did not manifest until after service, and his tinnitus began during service.
The deciding factor: The February 2013 VHA expert opinion found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is less likely as not related to service due to normal audiometry at separation. The tinnitus onset was noted in service, but the VA expert opined it is less likely than not caused by 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
- April 17, 2013
- Citation
- 1312735
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 1312735.
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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