The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted. The Board finds that the Veteran has a current disability of tinnitus due to in-service noise exposure and resolves reasonable doubt in his favor. For bilateral hearing loss, the Board finds that there was no pre-existing right ear hearing loss noted at entry into service, and thus the presumption of soundness does not apply. A remand is required for further examination and opinion regarding left ear hearing loss.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's tinnitus claim is granted as it meets the criteria for direct service connection due to in-service noise exposure. For bilateral hearing loss, the Board found that there was no pre-existing right ear hearing loss noted at entry into service, thus the presumption of soundness does not apply. A remand is required to address whether left ear hearing loss began during service or is otherwise due to in-service acoustic trauma.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 26, 2026
- Citation
- A26027286
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 A26027286.
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.
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