The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral recurrent tinnitus is granted. The Board finds that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the current tinnitus arose in service, and resolves all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.
The deciding factor: The Veteran reported experiencing ringing in his ears during active service and has continued to experience it since then. The Board found the Veteran's report credible and determined that the evidence was at least in equipoise as to whether the current tinnitus arose in service, thus granting service connection for bilateral recurrent tinnitus.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral recurrent tinnitus, fracture of the right 5th metacarpal, tension headaches, right arm/hand radiculopathy, bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 27, 2021
- Citation
- 21032765
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 21032765.
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 bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim, specifically needing an addendum opinion from a VA examiner. The Veteran will be asked to provide any missing records and former employers' information.
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