The Veteran does not have a diagnosed bilateral hearing loss disability for VA purposes.,The Veteran's tinnitus is at least as likely as not caused by acoustic trauma sustained during his military service, including periods of INACDUTRA or ACDUTRA.
The deciding factor: VA audiometric testing did not establish the presence of a bilateral hearing loss disability for VA purposes. The April 2013 VA examiner opined that the Veteran's tinnitus was due to his diagnosed bilateral hearing loss condition.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, Bilateral Foot Disorder (Plantar Fasciitis), Right Knee Disorder (Arthritis), Right Thumb Disorder (Arthritis)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 14, 2015
- Citation
- 1543893
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 1543893.
What this means for you
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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 bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The issue remains under direct service connection theory.
- Denied
The Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 30 percent, the highest non-compensable rating available. The Board found that his hearing loss did not warrant a higher rating based on VA examinations and medical records.
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