The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted as service-connected.,Service connection for pain in joints, a blood disorder, and PTSD has been withdrawn by the Veteran.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the evidence was at least evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities were related to service. Given the application of 38 U.S.C. § 1154(b), the Board concluded that the Veteran sustained acoustic trauma during combat operations, which provided a basis for invoking the section 1154(b) rules in order to show that he incurred the disability itself while in service.
- Claimed conditions
- Pain in joints, Blood disorder, Hearing loss, Tinnitus, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 29, 2017
- Citation
- 1754483
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 1754483.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
- Denied
The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50% since March 23, 2004. The Board found that a higher rating is not warranted prior to February 15, 2005 due to the severity of his symptoms and their impact on his social and occupational functioning.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and any acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current mental health conditions and his military service.
- 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.
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