The Veteran was granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, both found to be related to in-service noise exposure. Service connection was also established for bilateral in-grown toe nails of the great toe.,Service connection for a bilateral lower extremity disability is not supported by evidence as it cannot be determined if these conditions are related to service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus were found to be due to noise exposure during service, while his in-grown toe nails have been linked to service based on the Veteran's testimony of treatment received in-service.,Service connection for a bilateral lower extremity disability could not be established as there was insufficient evidence linking these conditions to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, Bilateral In-grown Toe Nails, Great Toe, Bilateral Lower Extremity Disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 15, 2014
- Citation
- 1402072
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 1402072.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
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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