The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability and the preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that his hearing loss began during active service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease.,Service connection has been granted for tinnitus, with the Board noting that the Veteran's lay statements supported his claim.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not have audiometric findings meeting criteria for a hearing loss disability for VA purposes during service and no current evidence of record supports a finding that he currently has such a disability. The preponderance of the evidence is against finding that his tinnitus began in service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease.
- Claimed conditions
- an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as PTSD), bilateral hearing loss, residuals of a right ankle disability, tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 13, 2019
- Citation
- 19162664
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,456 · Granted: 23% (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 19162664.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
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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