The Board has granted the Veteran's petition to reopen his claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and has determined that he is entitled to this benefit based on evidence showing a relationship between his current condition and military service. The decision also notes that there was no significant threshold shift in either ear at service separation, but does not preclude a grant of service connection due to the absence of such documentation.
The deciding factor: The Board found that while there was no significant threshold shift at service separation, this alone did not preclude a finding of service connection for hearing loss. The Veteran's current condition is related to his military service based on evidence including VA and private medical opinions supporting the link between noise exposure during service and his current bilateral hearing loss.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 4, 2019
- Citation
- 19100952
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 withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Partly granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted, while fibromyalgia, internal or external hemorrhoids, bilateral hearing loss, and neuropathy are denied.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding it at least as likely as not related to the Veteran's in-service noise exposure.
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