The Board denied the Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The effective dates for his service connection awards for hypertension, gynecomastia, and a left shoulder burn scar were all set to September 23, 2015.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not meet the criteria for service connection as there was no current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus. The effective dates were set based on when the Veteran filed his intent to file claims for these conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, gynecomastia, left shoulder burn scar, tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 10, 2024
- Citation
- 24015516
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 24015516.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
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