The Veteran's service connection claims for hearing loss and tinnitus are granted. The claim for increased rating of other specified trauma related disorder is remanded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran has a current diagnosis of tinnitus that is at least as likely as not related to in-service noise exposure, meeting the criteria for presumptive service connection under 38 C.F.R. § 3.309(a). The hearing loss claim lacks evidence of a current disability and thus cannot be granted. For other specified trauma related disorder, the Veteran's symptoms are currently rated at 50% due to occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.
- Claimed conditions
- Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, Other specified trauma related disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- January 11, 2019
- Citation
- 19103206
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.
- Partly granted
The Board denied an increased disability evaluation for PTSD but granted an earlier effective date for TDIU of August 6, 2012.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of May 17, 2019, for a 70 percent disability rating for PTSD but denied earlier effective dates for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.
- Partly granted
The Board granted readjudication of previously denied claims for service connection for PTSD and COPD, while remanding other issues including entitlement to service connection for an eye disorder, hypertension, tinnitus, a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, TDIU, and an initial rating for PTSD.
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