The Veteran's current level of hearing loss in her left ear is etiologically related to her active duty service, and the Board grants service connection for sensorineural hearing loss in the left ear.
The deciding factor: The expert opinion determined that the Veteran's in-service assault likely aggravated her left ear hearing loss, which was not previously linked to service due to normal audiometric results at separation. The Veteran also provided statements supporting an increase in symptoms during service.
- Claimed conditions
- sensorineural hearing loss in the left ear
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 0%
- Decision date
- December 19, 2018
- Citation
- 18159715
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 18159715.
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.
- 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).
- Partly granted
The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral tinnitus and sensorineural hearing loss in the right ear are granted. The claim for sensorineural hearing loss in the left ear is remanded due to insufficient evidence.
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