The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were reopened, and both conditions are now granted.,Service connection is established for peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity and prostate cancer (residual symptoms), with a rating in excess of 20 percent.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's testimony raised reasonable doubt regarding his exposure to hazardous noise during service, leading to a finding that bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, Peripheral Neuropathy of the Right Upper Extremity, Peripheral Neuropathy of the Left Upper Extremity, Prostate Cancer (Residual Symptoms)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 25, 2023
- Citation
- 23004890
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 23004890.
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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