The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are as likely as not due to noise exposure during his period of active service. The Veteran also had a cold injury to his hands in service, but there is insufficient evidence to determine if any current hand disability is related to this injury.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's lay statements and VA examination report supported a finding of continuity of symptomatology between his in-service noise exposure and current hearing loss and tinnitus. The cold injury to hands was not confirmed, but there were no other etiologies provided for the hand disability.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, residuals of cold injury to the hands
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- August 26, 2016
- Citation
- 1633766
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 1633766.
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 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.
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