The Veteran's claim for service connection for loss of front tooth was denied in the January 2003 rating decision. New evidence submitted since then does not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim.,Service connection is granted for tinnitus, with the Board finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise regarding whether his current tinnitus was incurred in service.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is denied as there is no competent evidence of a current disability within one year following discharge and no link to service.
The deciding factor: New evidence does not relate to the basis for the January 2003 denial, which was based on lack of evidence of a compensable disability.,The Veteran's report of tinnitus onset in service is considered credible, but the VA examiner found it less likely than not that his current hearing loss is related to service exposure.,There is no competent evidence showing a current bilateral hearing loss disability within one year following discharge and no link to service.
- Claimed conditions
- loss of front tooth, tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 8, 2020
- Citation
- 20077683
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 20077683.
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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