The Board has granted reopening of service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a low back disability, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. Service connection is now established for these conditions due to the Veteran's exposure to noise during service and continuous symptoms since discharge.
The deciding factor: The evidence shows in-service acoustic trauma and continuous post-service symptoms of tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss that are at least as likely as not related to service, warranting presumptive service connection under 38 C.F.R. § 3.303(b).
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, low back disability, acquired psychiatric disorder
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 31, 2022
- Citation
- 22005036
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 22005036.
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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