The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability. The Veteran's claim for tinnitus is granted based on the reasonable doubt in his favor regarding its onset during service.,The Veteran's claims for fibromyalgia and myofascial pain syndrome are both granted, with the latter being considered part of the former due to overlapping symptoms.
The deciding factor: Service connection was established for tinnitus based on credible lay evidence linking it to in-service noise exposure. The reasonable doubt regarding its onset during service is resolved in favor of the Veteran.,The VA examiner's opinion that fibromyalgia and myofascial pain syndrome are not directly related to PTSD, but rather secondary to military service, was outweighed by Dr. Kulafofski’s statement linking it to traumatic events during service.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, fibromyalgia and myofascial pain syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- December 14, 2018
- Citation
- 18157974
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 18157974.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for asthma and remanded claims for insomnia and sleep apnea. Other conditions were denied.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for tinnitus to correct a duty to assist error, as the Veteran's lay statements regarding onset and continuity of symptoms were not adequately considered in the previous decision.
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