The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability for which service connection can be granted, including hearing loss and tinnitus. The remaining issues are denied due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of the evidence is against a finding that any claimed disabilities are related to military service or herbicide exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, Chronic Disability Manifested by Rash, Sensitivity to Heat and Sun, and Altered Skin Color, Shortness of Breath, Fatigue, Dizziness and Being Overly Drowsy, Blurring and Burning of Eyes, Diarrhea and Abdominal Pain, High Blood Pressure, Erectile Dysfunction
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 16, 2016
- Citation
- 1610566
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 1610566.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
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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