The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted, with the Board finding that his tinnitus began during active service and is related to military noise exposure.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for left eye disability (including retina, scarring, atrophy, or irregularities of, eye disease, vision, and visual impairment) are denied as there is no evidence linking these conditions to service.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for low back disability is denied as there is no evidence suggesting the condition began in or is related to his military service.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis is granted, with the Board finding that it is etiologically related to service.
The deciding factor: There is no current diagnosis of a hearing loss disability and VA regulations require a showing of a current disability for service connection.,The Veteran's reports of tinnitus are consistent with his MOS as a heavy anti-armor weapon infantry, which is shown to be high probability for military noise exposure. The Board finds the evidence in equipoise regarding whether the tinnitus began during active service and is related to military noise exposure.,There is no evidence linking the left eye disability or vision impairment to service, including an in-service head injury. Post-service records are negative for any ongoing treatment or recurrent symptoms related to a left eye condition or eye disability.,The Veteran's service treatment records are entirely negative for any complaints, treatment or diagnosis of a back disability. There is no evidence suggesting the low back disability began during active service.,The Veteran's bilateral plantar fasciitis is etiologically related to service based on his reports and medical opinions.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, left eye disability (including retina, scarring, atrophy, or irregularities of, eye disease, vision, and visual impairment), low back disability, bilateral plantar fasciitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 4, 2020
- Citation
- A20016480
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 A20016480.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
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