The Veteran's tinnitus began in service and has continued to the present.,Bilateral hearing loss manifested more than one year after separation from service and is not shown to be causally or etiologically related to an in-service event, injury or disease.,The preponderance of the evidence is against finding that the Veteran currently has any current underlying disability or chronic residuals from a leech removed from his left ear in service. The Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are not connected to his time in service.,The preponderance of the evidence is against finding that the Veteran currently has blood poisoning and had blood poisoning in service.,Emphysema manifested more than one year after separation and is not shown to be causally or etiologically related to an in-service event, injury or disease.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not establish a nexus between the Veteran's tinnitus and his time in service.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, left ear condition (residuals from a leech removed), blood poisoning, emphysema
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 2, 2019
- Citation
- 19176118
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 remands the claim for service connection for tinnitus to correct a duty to assist error, as the Veteran's lay statements regarding onset and continuity of symptoms were not adequately considered in the previous decision.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for tinnitus, cubital tunnel syndrome, right plantar fasciitis, and a right knee disability due to the lack of evidence supporting a nexus between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of April 25, 2022, for the award of service connection for tinnitus and a 100 percent initial rating for PTSD with alcohol use disorder.
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