The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disorder is denied as there is no evidence of a chronic condition during service and the preponderance of the evidence fails to establish a relationship with service.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied because the Veteran does not meet the criteria for a present disability under VA regulations. The Board finds that his current hearing status does not qualify him for compensation based on noise exposure in service.,The claim for tinnitus is granted as the initial onset occurred within one year of discharge and there is no evidence against it being related to service.,Barrett's esophagus is denied because there is no evidence of a chronic condition during service, and the preponderance of the evidence fails to establish a relationship with service.,Left hand numbness is denied as there is no evidence of a chronic condition during service, and the preponderance of the evidence fails to establish a relationship with service.,Right hand numbness is denied for similar reasons: no chronic condition during service and failure to establish a relationship with service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's right knee disorder was not manifest during active service. The VA examiner found that any current right knee strain is less likely related to his service in Southwest Asia.,Bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for compensation under VA regulations, as there is no evidence of a present disability.,Tinnitus was initially manifested within one year of discharge and is considered an organic disease of the nervous system. The preponderance of the evidence supports its relationship to service.,Barrett's esophagus was not manifest during active service and the preponderance of the evidence fails to establish a relationship with service, including as a result of exposure in Southwest Asia.,Left hand numbness was not manifest during active service. The preponderance of the evidence fails to establish a relationship with service, including as a result of exposure in Southwest Asia.,Right hand numbness was not manifest during active service. The preponderance of the evidence fails to establish a relationship with service, including as a result of exposure in Southwest Asia.
- Claimed conditions
- right knee disorder, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, Barrett's esophagus, left hand numbness, right hand numbness
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 28, 2018
- Citation
- 18139749
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 18139749.
What this means for you
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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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