The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The Veteran was exposed to acoustic trauma during active service, and he currently has diagnosed bilateral sensorineural hearing loss with continuous symptoms since service separation. Tinnitus is also linked to his military service. Therefore, service connection is granted for both conditions.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the new evidence established a link between the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus diagnoses and his in-service acoustic trauma exposure, meeting the criteria for direct service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 0%
- Decision date
- January 7, 2014
- Citation
- 1400444
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 1400444.
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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