The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss but denied service connection for tinnitus. The decision finds that the Veteran's current hearing loss is related to his in-service noise exposure, while there is no evidence of a current diagnosis for tinnitus.
The deciding factor: The May 2022 VA examiner found no significant permanent shift in hearing thresholds beyond test variability from entrance to separation, and noted there was no report of complaint or treatment for hearing decrease in service treatment records. The audiologist's opinion supported the Veteran's claim by noting his military occupation specialty as aircraft mechanic crew chief for helicopters with a high probability of noise exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 2, 2026
- Citation
- A26029912
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 A26029912.
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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