The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The evidence is in relative equipoise as to whether the current bilateral hearing loss disability is related to in-service acoustic trauma, thus resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.
The deciding factor: The Board finds that the additional evidence submitted since the July 1997 denial raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss and resolves all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran's claim based on his credible assertions of continuity of symptomatology during and since active service.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 12, 2015
- Citation
- 1520201
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1520201.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
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 bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim, specifically needing an addendum opinion from a VA examiner. The Veteran will be asked to provide any missing records and former employers' information.
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