The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and denied service connection for hearing loss and hypertension. The Veteran's PTSD, migraines, back disability (lumbosacral and thoracic spine), left lower extremity radiculopathy, right upper extremity radiculopathy, and left upper extremity radiculopathy are all rated at their maximum levels. The issue of entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU) is dismissed.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's tinnitus was found to have begun in service or within one year after active duty and continued since that time, establishing in-service onset and continuity without intervening cause. The Veteran did not meet the criteria for a VA disability of hypertension as he had no diastolic blood pressures of predominantly 90 mm. or greater, or systolic blood pressures of predominantly 160 mm. or greater with diastolic blood pressures of less than 90 mm.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, hearing loss, hypertension
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 5, 2024
- Citation
- 24000904
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,088 · Granted: 33% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 24000904.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- 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.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of foot disability and cardiovascular disorder are remanded for additional development.
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