The Board found that the Veteran's preexisting hearing loss in the left ear increased during service, and granted service connection for this condition. The effective date of tinnitus was set at January 22, 2008. There is no clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in the March 1996 rating decision regarding low back strain.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that the Veteran's hearing loss in the left ear increased during service due to a closed head injury from a motorcycle accident, which aggravated his preexisting condition. The effective date for tinnitus was set at January 22, 2008 as it was received within one year of the decision.
- Claimed conditions
- Hearing loss in the left ear
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 0%
- Decision date
- April 16, 2014
- Citation
- 1417112
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 1417112.
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 the Veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss in the left ear as there is no evidence of a current disability meeting VA criteria.
- Denied
The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is rated as Level I, which corresponds to a noncompensable rating. The Board denied the claim for an initial compensable rating.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided that the Veteran does not have a current disability of hearing loss in the left ear for VA purposes, and thus denied service connection. For the right ear, the Board found that there is no evidence to support a finding that the Veteran's hearing loss was incurred during service.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for pre-existing hearing loss in both the right and left ears, finding that there was an increase in severity during service without clear and unmistakable evidence of natural progression. The Veteran's exposure to noise trauma while on active duty is acknowledged, as are his symptoms of hearing loss since discharge.
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