The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not service-connected as there is no evidence of a current disability.,The Veteran does not have a diagnosed bilateral eye disability for VA purposes.
The deciding factor: There is no medical evidence showing the Veteran has a current bilateral eye disability, and his STRs are unavailable. The January 2015 VA examiner found that the Veteran's tinnitus is not related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, arthritis, sinusitis, obstructive sleep apnea, heart disability (coronary artery disease, occluded right coronary artery, chronic ischemia without angina), hypertension, gastrointestinal disability (gastritis), type II diabetes mellitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 2, 2019
- Citation
- 19100184
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the appeal to obtain a VA medical opinion that considers the Veteran's contentions of in-service training with heavy gear and equipment.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of October 21, 2021, for the grant of service connection for hypertension.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
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