The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not service-connected, as there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure or chronic symptoms within one year post-service. The peripheral neuropathy claim was denied due to lack of objective medical findings supporting a current disability.
The deciding factor: There is insufficient evidence to establish that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service, as his audiometric results were normal during service and there is no indication of chronic symptoms within one year post-service. The peripheral neuropathy claim was denied because the VA examiner could not confirm a current disability based on the available medical records.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, Peripheral Neuropathy of the Left Upper Extremity (Secondary to Left Axillary Cyst Removal)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 19, 2018
- Citation
- 1823410
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 1823410.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- 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.
- 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The issue remains under direct service connection theory.
- Denied
The Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 30 percent, the highest non-compensable rating available. The Board found that his hearing loss did not warrant a higher rating based on VA examinations and medical records.
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