The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection, but his bilateral hearing loss and cold injury residuals, bilateral feet are denied.
The deciding factor: For the Veteran's tinnitus, the VA examiner found that there was both evidence for and against a nexus between the Veteran's tinnitus and military service. The Veteran's lay assertions were given weight as he reported noticing tinnitus during drill instructor duty and it has been the same since onset. For bilateral hearing loss, the VA opinion stated that there is no significant permanent shift in hearing thresholds beyond test variability from entrance on February 15, 1985, to retirement on December 9, 2005, which is objective evidence of no permanent auditory damage on active duty from conceded noise. For cold injury residuals, bilateral feet, the VA examiner noted that there was no diagnosis of a cold injury in service and the Veteran's symptoms could be secondary to his Type II diabetes.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, cold injury residuals, bilateral feet
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 18, 2024
- Citation
- A24058019
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 A24058019.
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.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.