The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection. The Board found the evidence in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's lumbosacral epidural abscess, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, right knee osteoarthritis, left knee osteoarthritis, left ankle osteoarthritis, and bilateral hearing loss were incurred during active duty service or active duty for training. The Board remanded to obtain additional records and conduct further medical opinions.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's tinnitus was found to be at least as likely as not incurred in service due to noise exposure from his military duties. For the other conditions, the evidence was in equipoise regarding their onset during active duty or active duty for training.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, lumbosacral epidural abscess with laminectomies, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, right knee osteoarthritis, left knee osteoarthritis, left ankle osteoarthritis, bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 9, 2020
- Citation
- 20045755
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 20045755.
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.
- 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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