The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted. Service connection for GERD, claimed as a stomach condition, is denied. The Veteran's claim for secondary service connection for chronic nausea and dizziness to include as secondary to his now service-connected bilateral hearing loss is remanded.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner will be asked to determine if the Veteran’s current symptoms of chronic nausea and dizziness are related to his in-service sea sickness, which may have caused damage to his inner ear leading to vertigo and associated nausea.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), chronic nausea and dizziness
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 18, 2019
- Citation
- 19179669
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.
- 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 multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Partly granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted, while fibromyalgia, internal or external hemorrhoids, bilateral hearing loss, and neuropathy are denied.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding it at least as likely as not related to the Veteran's in-service noise exposure.
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