The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are denied as his current level of hearing is not disabling, and there is no evidence linking the conditions to service.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is also denied. The Board found that while he experienced noise exposure in service, his tinnitus did not begin until at least 5 years after separation from active duty.
The deciding factor: The Veteran does not have a disabling level of bilateral hearing loss as defined by VA regulatory criteria and there is no evidence linking the condition to service.,There was noise exposure in service, but the tinnitus did not begin until at least 5 years after separation from active duty.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 27, 2023
- Citation
- 23067801
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 23067801.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
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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