The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is granted as service connected.,The Veteran's left elbow disorder and right elbow disorder are both granted as service connected.,The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as secondary to his service-connected right ear hearing loss.,Service connection for eustachian tube dysfunction is remanded due to conflicting evidence regarding its relation to active service.
The deciding factor: The Board found the evidence at least in equipoise that the Veteran’s current right ear hearing loss began during or was related to his active service, including noise exposure.,The VA examiner opined that the Veteran's left elbow disorder and right elbow disorder were incurred due to heavy lifting demands of his job, which is consistent with events during his active service.,The VA audiologist stated that tinnitus is a symptom associated with hearing loss, thus granting secondary service connection for tinnitus.,The Board noted conflicting evidence regarding the Veteran's eustachian tube dysfunction and its relation to active service.
- Claimed conditions
- right ear hearing loss, left elbow disorder, right elbow disorder, tinnitus, eustachian tube dysfunction
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 7, 2020
- Citation
- 20023598
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 20023598.
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 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.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of foot disability and cardiovascular disorder are remanded for additional development.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran experienced tinnitus during his active duty service.
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