The Veteran's back disability is not related to service, and the appeal for this condition is denied.,The Veteran's asthma was not caused or aggravated by service, and the appeal for this condition is denied.,Resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran, his bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are considered to have had their onset during active duty service, and he is granted service connection for these conditions.,A right knee/leg disability is not related to service, and the appeal for this condition is denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's back disability did not manifest in service or within one year of separation from service. The medical evidence does not support a link between his current back disability and service.,There is no evidence that the Veteran’s asthma had its onset during service, and there are no records indicating any symptoms related to asthma until decades after service. Therefore, it was not caused by or aggravated by service.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were found to have been continuous since service separation due to noise exposure in service. The current conditions are considered presumptively connected to service under 38 C.F.R. § 3.303(b).,There is no evidence of a right knee/leg disability during or within one year after service, and the medical opinion does not support a link between any current condition and service.
- Claimed conditions
- Back Disability, Asthma, Bilateral Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, Right Knee/leg Disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 4, 2020
- Citation
- 20051756
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 20051756.
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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