The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and esophageal cancer due to asbestos exposure. The Veteran's current hearing loss is not related to his in-service noise exposure, as there was no specific event linked to its onset. His tinnitus did not manifest within the one-year presumptive period or be otherwise related to service. Esophageal cancer is not considered related to asbestos exposure during service.,The Board denied service connection for esophageal cancer due to asbestos exposure. The Veteran's current diagnosis of esophageal cancer was found not to be linked to his in-service asbestos exposure, as there were no pre-existing diseases that predispose him to the condition.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not establish a nexus between the Veteran’s current hearing loss and service. The audiologist opined it is less likely than not related to service due to post-service employment and/or chemotherapy.,For tinnitus, there was no compensable degree of disability within one year after separation from service or established continuity of symptomatology. The VA examiner found that the Veteran's tinnitus is more likely caused by post-service employment and/or chemotherapy.,The Board concluded that esophageal cancer is not related to asbestos exposure during service. The VA examiner noted no pre-existing diseases in service that predispose to esophageal cancer, and the etiology of almost 90% of esophageal cancers in the United States results from other factors such as hereditary, GERD, Barrett’s Disease, history of smoking, alcohol consumption, and diets low in fruits and vegetables.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, esophageal cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 19, 2019
- Citation
- 19119834
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,017 · Granted: 36% (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 19119834.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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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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