The Veteran's left total knee replacement is not service-connected as the preponderance of the evidence shows it was less likely than not related to his service.,Bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are also not service-connected. The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is at least in equipoise with service connection, while tinnitus is granted based on credible lay testimony.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of the evidence shows no left knee injuries or arthritis during service and no manifestations within one year post-service. The VA examiner found that the Veteran's left knee disability was less likely related to service.,For bilateral hearing loss, the Board found that there is an approximate balance of evidence in favor of a connection to service (as evidenced by the Veteran's consistent lay observations). For tinnitus, the Board granted it as secondary to his hearing loss.
- Claimed conditions
- Residuals of a total left knee replacement, Bilateral hearing loss, Tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 18, 2014
- Citation
- 1441771
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 1441771.
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 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 claim for a low back disorder was reopened, and his claims for increased ratings of bilateral knee instability were granted. His hearing loss claim was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a higher rating for PTSD and dismissed his appeals regarding increased ratings for tinnitus and a right hand disability due to lack of timely filing of Notice of Disagreement.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including GAD, MDD, bruxism, migraines/headaches, tinnitus, hip pain, iliotibial band syndrome, and leg stress fractures. The evidence does not support current diagnoses of these conditions during the appeal period.
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