The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and bilateral foot fungus. Service connection is also granted for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, left ankle enthesopathy, right ankle enthesopathy with LCL sprain, osteoarthritis of the left knee, and osteoarthritis of the right knee.,The Board has remanded service connection for a left hip condition, right hip condition, and right shoulder rotator cuff condition.
The deciding factor: The evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether tinnitus had its initial onset in service and has been continuous since service. The Veteran's testimony regarding his hearing loss and tinnitus symptoms during service was considered credible.,Service treatment records do not reflect complaints or treatment of hearing loss or tinnitus, but the Veteran reported experiencing these conditions during service. A VA examination found that his hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, bilateral foot fungus, degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, left ankle enthesopathy, right ankle enthesopathy and LCL sprain, osteoarthritis of the left knee, osteoarthritis of the right knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 20, 2024
- Citation
- A24048035
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 A24048035.
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 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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