The Board finds that the Veteran's reports of ringing in his ears since being exposed to loud noises in service are consistent with the circumstances of his service and with his military occupational specialties. The currently demonstrated tinnitus was caused by in-service exposure to excessive and harmful noise.
The deciding factor: Tinnitus is a disorder with symptoms that can be identified through lay observation alone, and based on the Veteran's credible and competent assertions as to the onset of his tinnitus, the Board finds that the evidence for and against the claim is in relative equipoise. Therefore, the benefit-of-the-doubt doctrine is for application and service connection for tinnitus is warranted.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 8, 2016
- Citation
- 1646067
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 1646067.
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.
- 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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