The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were at least as likely as not caused by in-service, acoustic trauma. The left shoulder condition, neck condition, and OSA are all granted.
The deciding factor: The recent evidence supports the Veteran's testimony that his tinnitus began in service due to acoustic trauma from noise exposure, and bilateral hearing loss is consistent with this noise exposure. For the left shoulder and neck conditions, a tree injury during service is considered as a possible etiology based on the Veteran's testimony.
- Claimed conditions
- left shoulder condition, neck condition, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 23, 2018
- Citation
- 1824283
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 1824283.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
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