The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability and the Board finds that his hearing loss did not begin in service.,Service connection for tinnitus has been granted. The Board found that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's tinnitus had its onset during service.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not show a current disability of bilateral hearing loss and the examiner opined that the Veteran’s hearing loss was not incurred in service.,The Veteran reported experiencing ringing in his ears since service, which is credible. The Board found that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's tinnitus began during service.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, Peripheral Neuropathy of the Lower Extremities (claimed as secondary to diabetes), Peripheral Neuropathy of the Upper Extremities (claimed as secondary to diabetes), Hypertension (claimed as high blood pressure)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 13, 2020
- Citation
- A20016884
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 A20016884.
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 service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The issue remains under direct service connection theory.
- Denied
The Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 30 percent, the highest non-compensable rating available. The Board found that his hearing loss did not warrant a higher rating based on VA examinations and medical records.
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