The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not shown as chronic in service or within a presumptive period, and continuity of symptomatology is not established. Service connection for these conditions was denied.,The Veteran has not reported continuous symptoms of tinnitus since active duty service or within one year of his discharge from active duty service. The evidence of record persuasively weighs against finding that the Veteran's tinnitus is etiologically related to active duty service. Service connection for tinnitus was denied.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not support a nexus between the bilateral hearing loss and an in-service injury, event or disease.,There are no opinions linking the Veteran's tinnitus to his active duty service. While the November 2024 VA examiner linked the Veteran's tinnitus to his bilateral hearing loss, since service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been denied, service connection for tinnitus cannot be established on a secondary basis.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, Left Ring Finger Residual Scar, Left Hand Ring Finger Pain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 7, 2026
- Citation
- A26031500
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 A26031500.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The issue remains under direct service connection theory.
- Denied
The Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 30 percent, the highest non-compensable rating available. The Board found that his hearing loss did not warrant a higher rating based on VA examinations and medical records.
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