The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, cervical spine disability (neck), and left shoulder disability as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred in or related to service.
The deciding factor: The VA audiologist's opinions were based on an accurate understanding of the facts and articulated reasons for the conclusion reached, making them probative. The Veteran was not shown to have a current hearing loss disability as defined by VA regulation, tinnitus that was caused by military noise exposure, or cervical spine or left shoulder disabilities associated with service.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral hearing loss, Tinnitus, Cervical spine disability (neck), Left shoulder disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 15, 2025
- Citation
- A25043912
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for right and left shoulder disabilities, as the evidence did not support a higher rating under applicable criteria.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, as there was no evidence of a current disability in the right ear and insufficient evidence to establish a nexus between the left ear hearing loss and service.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter for a medical clarification regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected epilepsy has aggravated his bilateral hearing loss.
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