The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis of bilateral sensorineural hearing loss did not begin during his active duty and is not related to in-service noise exposure.,The Board also denied service connection for tinnitus, concluding that there was no evidence linking the Veteran's current condition to in-service noise exposure.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of the evidence does not establish a causal nexus between the Veteran’s current bilateral hearing loss and noise exposure during his active duty. The STRs did not show any shifts in hearing during service, and there is conflicting medical opinion regarding the etiology of the condition.,Regarding tinnitus, the Board found that while the Veteran has a current diagnosis, evidence does not support a link to in-service noise exposure. The VA examiner noted that the Veteran denied ringing in the ears during his 1993 hearing conservation examination and did not provide an opinion without resorting to speculation.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 13, 2020
- Citation
- A20016889
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 A20016889.
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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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