The Board finds that the appellant's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are directly related to his military service, with no indication of pre-existing conditions or aggravation during service. The evidence is in equipoise regarding whether these conditions were caused by noise exposure during active duty.
The deciding factor: The VA audiologist found that the appellant's current hearing loss and tinnitus are not due to military noise exposure but rather a combination of presbycusis (age-related hearing loss) and occupational/recreational noise exposure. However, the Board finds this opinion less persuasive than the private audiologist who concluded that the hearing loss was likely related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- February 26, 2015
- Citation
- 1508436
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 1508436.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- 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.
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