The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to be causally related to his military service, and the Board finds that he currently has a current disability meeting VA criteria for hearing loss. The Veteran also had a history of tinnitus in service, but there is no current diagnosis or competent medical evidence linking this condition to service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's reported noise exposure during service and subsequent development of bilateral hearing loss are supported by credible lay testimony and medical opinion. Tinnitus was not diagnosed until after service, and the Board finds that it is less likely than not related to service based on the lack of contemporaneous evidence and the absence of a current diagnosis.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 2, 2013
- Citation
- 1339533
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 1339533.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The issue remains under direct service connection theory.
- Denied
The Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 30 percent, the highest non-compensable rating available. The Board found that his hearing loss did not warrant a higher rating based on VA examinations and medical records.
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