The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected due to in-service noise exposure.,The Veteran's thoracolumbar spine disability is granted as service-connected due to an in-service injury during active duty.,The Veteran's bilateral foot numbness secondary to lumbar spine disability is granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's skin disability is denied as there is no evidence of a current condition related to his military service.,The Veteran's respiratory disability is denied as there is no evidence of a chronic condition related to his military service.
The deciding factor: Service connection for bilateral hearing loss was granted based on in-service noise exposure and the absence of any pre-existing conditions, resolving all doubt in favor of the Veteran.,Service connection for thoracolumbar spine disability was granted as the Veteran reported an in-service injury and has a current condition that is related to his service. The lack of evidence of chronic care after service does not negate this finding.,Service connection for bilateral foot numbness secondary to lumbar spine disability was granted based on the examiner's opinion linking the two conditions, resolving all doubt in favor of the Veteran.,Service connection for skin disability was denied as there is no medical record showing a current condition related to service and the lack of evidence of chronicity after service.,Service connection for respiratory disability was denied due to the absence of any evidence of a chronic condition related to service, with the exception of acute bronchitis during service.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, thoracolumbar spine disability, bilateral foot numbness, skin disability, respiratory disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 18, 2023
- Citation
- 23003182
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 23003182.
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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