The Board has granted service connection for left ear sensorineural hearing loss and bilateral recurrent tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his military service. The decision is based on the Veteran's MOS as a Combat Engineer, which exposed him to noise during service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found no evidence of complaints or treatment for hearing loss/tinnitus during military service and concluded that the Veteran’s tinnitus did not have its onset in service due to his normal hearing upon discharge. However, the Board gave the Veteran the benefit of the doubt and concluded that his tinnitus began during service.
- Claimed conditions
- left ear sensorineural hearing loss, bilateral recurrent tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 0%
- Decision date
- August 2, 2018
- Citation
- 18123430
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 18123430.
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 left ear sensorineural hearing loss, tinnitus, and right ear hearing loss have been granted as service-connected. However, the Veteran's right ear hearing loss is not service-connected.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the cases for additional examinations and opinions to determine the nature and likely etiology of the Veteran's disabilities, including his pancreatic disorders and left ear sensorineural hearing loss disorder. The Veteran is presumed to have service connection for bilateral tinnitus.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected conditions have caused him to be in need of regular aid and attendance, which has been granted for special monthly compensation (SMC).
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for PTSD has been dismissed. Service connection for left ear sensorineural hearing loss is granted, but the claim for right ear sensorineural hearing loss is remanded.
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