The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, large disc extrusion at L5-S1 (claimed as lower back pain), and numbness in the hands and fingers were denied. The Board found that there was no evidence of a current disability or a disease during the appeal period.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations did not find any current disabilities for which service connection could be granted, based on the criteria set forth in 38 C.F.R. § 3.385 for hearing loss and tinnitus, and the VA examiner's opinion that the Veteran's symptoms were most likely caused by post-service work.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss Disability, Tinnitus, Large disc extrusion at L5-S1 (claimed as lower back pain), Numbness in the hands and fingers
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 21, 2016
- Citation
- 1624845
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 1624845.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a higher rating for PTSD and dismissed his appeals regarding increased ratings for tinnitus and a right hand disability due to lack of timely filing of Notice of Disagreement.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including GAD, MDD, bruxism, migraines/headaches, tinnitus, hip pain, iliotibial band syndrome, and leg stress fractures. The evidence does not support current diagnoses of these conditions during the appeal period.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral pes planus with hammer toes, hallux valgus and degenerative arthritis, sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and bilateral kidney cysts, rendered him unable to secure or follow gainful employment. The Board granted the TDIU based on these conditions.
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