The Veteran's claims of service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities were denied as there was no evidence linking these conditions to his active military service.
The deciding factor: There is no medical evidence showing that the Veteran's current hearing loss or tinnitus disabilities are related to his time in service, including exposure to noise. The one-year presumptions for both disabilities do not apply due to significant lapses in time between service and post-service complaints of these conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- hearing loss disability, tinnitus disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 20, 2019
- Citation
- 19195748
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 19195748.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for hearing loss disability, neck strain, and tinea pedis. The Veteran's claim for an increased initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus was also denied. The claims for service connection for right and left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome were remanded.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed all claims for service connection and denied an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for hearing loss disability but denied it for Crohn's disease, both on a direct basis.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for hearing loss disability, as the evidence did not support a higher evaluation based on the results of an April 2021 VA audiology examination.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.