The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss because audiological testing showed the Veteran did not meet VA's criteria for hearing loss disability. The Board remanded the tinnitus claim because the January 2023 VA medical opinion regarding secondary service connection was based on an incorrect factual premise and was inadequate for adjudication.
The deciding factor: For bilateral hearing loss, objective audiometric testing showed all pure tone thresholds were less than 40 decibels and speech recognition scores exceeded 94 percent, failing to meet 38 C.F.R. § 3.385 criteria; for tinnitus, remand was necessary because the examiner's opinion regarding secondary service connection to the service-connected brain tumor and PTSD was based on inconsistent onset dates rather than the Veteran's consistent report that onset occurred in 1996 related to the brain tumor.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, brain tumor, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 22, 2025
- Citation
- A25036689
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 709 · Granted: 38% (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 A25036689.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder and PTSD. The Veteran will be asked to provide additional medical records and undergo a VA examination.
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