The Board has determined that the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service, with reasonable doubt resolved in favor of the Veteran. Service connection is granted for tinnitus but denied for hearing loss.
The deciding factor: The May 2011 VA examination found no current hearing loss disability, but noted that the Veteran reported experiencing episodes of tinnitus since approximately 2005. The examiner stated there was no basis to conclude that tinnitus was related to military service due to normal hearing. However, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran, the Board finds that his statements about tinnitus having its onset during service are credible and grants service connection for tinnitus.
- Claimed conditions
- hearing loss, tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 24, 2014
- Citation
- 1428388
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 1428388.
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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