The Veteran's claims for service connection for sinusitis and gastroenteritis were denied as there is no evidence of a current disability. The Veteran was found to have bilateral hearing loss during service, which meets the criteria for service connection under VA regulations.,Tinnitus was established based on the Veteran's credible contentions that he has had this condition since service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not provide evidence of a current disability for sinusitis and gastroenteritis. His hearing loss during service is presumed to have been incurred due to noise exposure, meeting the criteria for service connection under VA regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- Sinusitis, Gastroenteritis, Bilateral Hearing Loss, Tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 31, 2016
- Citation
- 1641959
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 1641959.
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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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