The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for tinnitus and finds that new evidence received since the final denial in March 2008 raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating his claim. The Board also finds that the Veteran experienced tinnitus coincident with his combat service, which he is competent to state began during service and has continued to the present.
The deciding factor: The Board resolved all doubt in favor of the Veteran regarding the onset of his tinnitus during service and found it credible based on his statements. The Veteran's exposure to acoustic trauma while in combat was established by his military records, DD-214, and lay statements from other veterans who served with him.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 29, 2014
- Citation
- 1403978
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 1403978.
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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