The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that his current diagnosis and a qualifying event (noise exposure during military service) are established. The only remaining issue was whether there is a nexus between the in-service noise exposure and the current hearing loss. Given the Veteran's lay testimony about extreme noise exposure and lack of hearing protection, as well as the private medical opinion linking the hearing loss to his military service, the Board found it reasonable that the Veteran's hearing loss is due to his conceded noise exposure during active service.
The deciding factor: The decision was based on the Veteran's lay testimony about extreme noise exposure during military service and a private medical opinion linking the hearing loss to his military service. The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is a reasonable nexus between the in-service noise exposure and current hearing loss.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 18, 2026
- Citation
- A26024320
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 A26024320.
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 bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim, specifically needing an addendum opinion from a VA examiner. The Veteran will be asked to provide any missing records and former employers' information.
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