The Board has granted service connection for sensorineural hearing loss in the left ear and tinnitus in the left ear, finding that these conditions are related to the Veteran's military service. The decision also remanded the issue of service connection for PTSD.
The deciding factor: The evidence established a current disability (sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus) and an in-service injury (exposure to hazardous noise levels during military service). A nexus was found between the in-service exposure and the current disabilities, with conflicting opinions from VA and private medical professionals. The Board resolved all doubts in favor of the Veteran.
- Claimed conditions
- sensorineural hearing loss in the left ear, tinnitus in the left ear
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 24, 2018
- Citation
- 18144477
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 18144477.
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 of service connection for sensorineural hearing loss in both ears and bilateral tinnitus due to a lack of medical evidence linking these conditions to military service.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeals for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus in the left ear, so these issues are dismissed.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's service connection claims for sensorineural hearing loss in both ears are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and opinion.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for sensorineural hearing loss in the left ear, finding that symptoms were continuous since service separation and meeting the criteria for presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.303(b).
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