The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been denied. His claim for service connection for a low back disability has been reopened, but not decided on the merits. The Veteran's scar of the right shoulder is rated at 10 percent, as it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating. His claims for increased ratings for his right shoulder and knee disabilities have not been addressed in this decision.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not establish current hearing loss or tinnitus for VA purposes during service, and no new evidence was submitted to reopen the low back disability claim.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 16, 2017
- Citation
- 1704843
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 1704843.
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.
- 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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