The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is service-connected, as there is at least a 50% likelihood it was caused by his military service.
The deciding factor: The evidence shows that the Veteran had normal hearing upon enlistment and currently has bilateral hearing loss. The VA examiner found that the current hearing loss is less likely related to service, but the private audiologist opined that the hearing loss is as likely as not due to noise exposure during military service.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, right ankle condition, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, osteoarthritis, right knee, osteoarthritis, left knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 26, 2018
- Citation
- 1811853
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 1811853.
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 bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim, specifically needing an addendum opinion from a VA examiner. The Veteran will be asked to provide any missing records and former employers' information.
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