The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, and the Board finds that tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, anxiety disorder, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and right knee disability are related to active service. The remaining issues remain pending.
The deciding factor: The evidence supports a finding of continuity of symptoms since service for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and GERD, and the August 2023 private opinion supports a finding that these conditions are related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, psychiatric disability, bilateral hearing loss, left hip disability, kidney disability, eye disability, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), right knee disability, left ankle disability
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 7, 2026
- Citation
- A26031459
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 A26031459.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess his bilateral knee and hip disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has expanded the scope of the claim to include any mental health disorder raised by the record and has remanded for additional development regarding service connection for left leg, ankle, and psychiatric disabilities.
- 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.
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