The Board has granted service connection for bilateral inguinal hernia, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The Veteran's current conditions are attributed to the natural progression of pre-existing conditions aggravated by in-service lifting activities.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the Veteran's current inguinal hernias were not related to active service as it had been many years since separation and the bilateral hernias were not currently active. However, the examiner noted during service the veteran was engaging in physical activities that entailed heavy lifting, pushing, pulling which may have aggravated a previous inguinal hernia.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Inguinal Hernia, Bilateral Hearing Loss, Tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 26, 2022
- Citation
- 22004032
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 22004032.
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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