The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not service-connected as they did not manifest during or within one year after separation from active service, and there is no clear and unmistakable evidence that the conditions existed prior to service.,The Veteran's left-hand disability and right-hand disability do not meet the criteria for service connection as there is no medical evidence of a pre-existing condition.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran did not have hearing loss or tinnitus during active service, nor within one year after separation. The VA examiner determined that any current hearing loss and tinnitus are less likely related to in-service noise exposure.,There is no evidence of a pre-existing left-hand disability or right-hand disability prior to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Bilateral Tinnitus, Left-Hand Disability, Left-Hand Scar, Right-Hand Disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 21, 2024
- Citation
- A24077289
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 A24077289.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The issue remains under direct service connection theory.
- Denied
The Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 30 percent, the highest non-compensable rating available. The Board found that his hearing loss did not warrant a higher rating based on VA examinations and medical records.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current hearing loss and his active service. The Board noted that while he had complaints of earaches in service, these did not indicate a current disability.
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