The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted service connection. The Veteran's COPD, presumed to be related to exposure to herbicide agents (Agent Orange), remains under review.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is established based on current disability and in-service noise exposure.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the evidence was at least evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran's COPD, presumed to be related to Agent Orange exposure, had its onset during service.,Service connection for COPD is remanded due to insufficient evidence of a direct relationship between herbicide agent exposure and COPD.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 11, 2020
- Citation
- 20032694
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 20032694.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
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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