The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, left hand disorder, and left ankle disorder have been granted. Bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are considered service-connected due to in-service acoustic trauma and continuous symptoms since separation from service. The left hand disorder is also considered service-connected as it is a chronic disease that developed within one year of separation from service. However, the left ankle disorder does not meet the criteria for service connection as there was no in-service incurrence or development of a compensable disability within one year of separation.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's claims were granted based on direct service connection due to the presence of current disabilities and established medical nexus between those disabilities and service. The left hand disorder is considered service-connected under the provisions for chronic diseases, while the left ankle disorder does not meet the criteria for presumptive service connection as there was no in-service incurrence or development within one year of separation.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, left hand disorder, left ankle disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- January 15, 2019
- Citation
- 19103093
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,162 · Granted: 21% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19103093.
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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