The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability is etiologically related to acoustic trauma sustained during active service, and therefore grants entitlement to service connection for this condition.
The deciding factor: The Veteran reported experiencing symptoms of reduced hearing acuity since his military service, which were consistent with noise exposure. His statements have been found credible by the Board.
- Claimed conditions
- Right ear hearing loss disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 13, 2019
- Citation
- 19193875
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 19193875.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for right ear hearing loss disability due to unreliable and inconsistent responses during audiometric testing.
- Partly granted
The Board denied the claims for an initial compensable rating for left ear sensorineural hearing loss, service connection for a right ear hearing loss disability, and a left eye disorder. However, it granted service connection for a back disability and radiculopathy of both lower extremities as secondary to the back disability.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss and tinnitus, but denied service connection for left ear hearing loss. The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is related to in-service noise exposure, while his tinnitus is not. His left ear hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a disability for VA purposes.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the cases for further development and to obtain a new opinion regarding the service connection of various hearing loss disabilities, including residuals from an in-service injury. The Appellant's National Guard service is also being reviewed.
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