The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied as the evidence did not establish a link to active service.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for right knee disability was denied because there is no evidence that his current condition began during or is related to his military service. ,The Veteran's claim for service connection for back disability was granted, with the Board finding that it is at least as likely as not related to an injury sustained in active service.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of evidence does not support a link between the current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus conditions and the Veteran's military service.,There was no evidence showing that the right knee disability began during or is otherwise related to his military service. The VA examiner found that the injury occurred above the level of the knee, making it less likely than not related to active service.,The Board found that the Veteran’s back disability is at least as likely as not related to an in-service injury, given the history of chronic low back pain and subsequent surgeries.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, Right Knee Disability, Back Disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 16, 2018
- Citation
- 18150916
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 18150916.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities are rated at 10% each, and the Board finds that higher ratings are not warranted based on the evidence of record.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities are not related to his active service, and thus denied both claims for service connection.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
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