The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of service connection for tinnitus, finding that new and material evidence was received since the last denial in January 2005. The Board also found that the Veteran's lay statements regarding ringing in his ears during service and continuity of symptoms since service are credible enough to establish a link between his current condition and service.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that the Veteran's lay reports of tinnitus in service and its continuity since service were credible, despite negative opinions from VA examiners based on lack of clinical evidence of tinnitus in service records. The combat presumptions apply here, allowing for a finding of service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 26, 2018
- Citation
- 1825563
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 1825563.
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 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.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of foot disability and cardiovascular disorder are remanded for additional development.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran experienced tinnitus during his active duty service.
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