The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss is at least as likely as not related to in-service noise exposure, and thus service connection for this condition is granted. However, there is insufficient evidence to establish a current diagnosis of recurrent tinnitus.
The deciding factor: The VA audiologist found no direct evidence to confirm or rebut the Veteran's claim that his bilateral hearing loss was caused by in-service acoustic trauma, but noted that it would only be speculation to suggest the cause of his bilateral hearing loss. The audiologist also stated that the Veteran denied having recurrent tinnitus for either ear.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, recurrent tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 0%
- Decision date
- October 26, 2018
- Citation
- 18145300
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 18145300.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's initial claim for service-connected bilateral sensorineural hearing loss was denied, and the rating assigned prior to September 12, 2024, is noncompensable.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, tinnitus, thoracolumbar levoscoliosis with advanced multilevel DDD and facet arthropathy (low back disability), and cervical spine disability to include cervicalgia (neck disability) due to a lack of VA examination records and an incomplete review of service treatment records.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's service connection claims for hypertension, bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, GERD, Barrett's esophagus, and arrhythmia are remanded due to pre-decisional errors in obtaining necessary medical opinions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss is being remanded due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors related to his Reserve component service.
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