The Veteran is granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and TMJ as secondary to his service-connected Hodgkin's disease.,Service connection is also granted for bilateral hearing loss.
The deciding factor: The evidence supports a finding that the Veteran experienced noise exposure during service, has current diagnoses of bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and TMJ, and there is medical nexus linking these conditions to service. The September 2019 private audiology opinion supported by the treating dentist's letter provided sufficient reasoning for the grant of service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 28, 2020
- Citation
- 20006963
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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