The Veteran's tinnitus had its onset in service and has been recurrent since then, warranting service connection. The remaining claims for lumbar spine disorder, sciatic nerve disorder, left shoulder disorder, and TBI residuals are addressed in the REMAND portion of the decision.
The deciding factor: Service treatment records do not show reports of tinnitus but the Veteran's testimony is credible and his current symptoms align with service exposure to loud noises. For other conditions, the Board finds that additional development is needed as VA examinations are required for proper adjudication.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, lumbar spine disorder, impairment of the sciatic nerve affecting the left lower extremity, residuals of a left shoulder disorder, residuals of a traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 5, 2016
- Citation
- 1600140
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 1600140.
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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