The Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are related to his military service, while the low back disorder and right shoulder disorder are not. The Board has granted service connection for these conditions.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the Veteran's current tinnitus is related to in-service noise exposure from F-14 aircraft, but did not find a relationship between his bilateral hearing loss and military service due to lack of audiometric findings meeting regulatory requirements. The low back disorder was attributed to aging effects and occupational history, while the right shoulder disorder was found to be aggravated by frequent falls and an antalgic gait related to knee disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, low back disorder, right shoulder disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 1, 2017
- Citation
- 1755407
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 1755407.
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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