The Board has determined that the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, but have been attributed to pre-existing conditions or other causes. The claim for hearing loss of the left ear is denied, while the claim for tinnitus is granted.
The deciding factor: The audiometric findings show a significant increase in hearing loss over time, with current speech recognition scores at 0 percent in the left ear. The examiner opined that the pre-existing hearing loss was less likely as not aggravated beyond a normal progression during active duty service.
- Claimed conditions
- hearing loss in left ear, tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 22, 2018
- Citation
- 18113417
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 18113417.
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.
- 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.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of foot disability and cardiovascular disorder are remanded for additional development.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran experienced tinnitus during his active duty service.
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