The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss disability, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether these conditions are related to service.,Service connection was also granted for colon cancer, but denied due to lack of a link between the condition and service or exposure to herbicide agents.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was an approximate balance of positive and negative evidence regarding the relationship between tinnitus and hearing loss disability and service. The Veteran's statements about in-service noise exposure were considered credible, and a VA examiner’s opinion was overturned by another medical expert who agreed with the Veteran's account.,For colon cancer, the Board noted that there is no direct evidence linking the condition to service or herbicide exposure, as the first relevant complaint occurred decades after separation. The preponderance of evidence did not support a connection between the Veteran’s current condition and his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss disability, colon cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 1, 2019
- Citation
- 19175593
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,987 · Granted: 15% (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 19175593.
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.
- 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.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of foot disability and cardiovascular disorder are remanded for additional development.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran experienced tinnitus during his active duty service.
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