The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was granted, with the Board finding that his symptoms began during combat in Vietnam and are related to noise exposure.,The issue of whether an earlier effective date is warranted for the right thumb disability remains pending and will be remanded by the Board.
The deciding factor: The Veteran provided credible testimony describing tinnitus as beginning during service due to combat exposure, which was found sufficient to establish a nexus between current symptoms and service.,The earlier effective date claim is timely filed and requires further development before it can be adjudicated.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, right thumb disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 20, 2013
- Citation
- 1330332
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 1330332.
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 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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