Citation Nr: 18146237
Decision Date: 10/31/18	Archive Date: 10/30/18

DOCKET NO. 15-23 466
DATE:	October 31, 2018
ORDER
Entitlement to service connection for tinnitus is granted.
FINDING OF FACT
The Veteran’s tinnitus is proximately due to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss.
CONCLUSION OF LAW
The criteria for service connection for tinnitus have been met. 38 U.S.C. §§ 1110, 1131, 5107(b); 38 C.F.R. §§ 3.102, 3.310(a).
REASONS AND BASES FOR FINDING AND CONCLUSION
The Veteran served on active duty from November 1960 to November 1962.
This matter is before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) on appeal from an October 2013 rating decision of a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO). 
On the Veteran’s June 2015 VA Form 9, he requested a hearing before the Board. However, the Veteran withdrew this request through his attorney in an October 2018 letter. The Board therefore deems his request for such a hearing to be withdrawn. See 38 C.F.R. § 20.704(e). 
Entitlement to service connection for tinnitus
The Veteran contends that he currently has tinnitus that is related to his military service and/or is secondary to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss.  As the decision below concludes that service connection is warranted based on a theory that the Veteran’s service-connected bilateral hearing loss caused tinnitus and is, thus, a full grant of entitlement to service connection, the theory of service connection for tinnitus being directly related to service will not be discussed further.
Service connection may be granted on a secondary basis for a disability which is proximately due to or the result of a service-connected disease or injury. 38 C.F.R. § 3.310. In order to prevail on the issue of entitlement to secondary service connection, there must be (1) evidence of a current disability; (2) evidence of a service-connected disability; and (3) medical nexus evidence establishing a connection between a service-connected disability and the current disability. See Wallin v. West, 11 Vet. App. 509, 512 (1998).
The evidence of record, including an October 2015 VA audiology examination report and statements from the Veteran regarding experiencing ringing in the ears, shows that the Veteran currently has tinnitus. The record also establishes that an October 2013 rating decision awarded the Veteran service connection for hearing loss.
At December 2015 and June 2016 VA audiology examinations with the same audiologist examiner, the VA examiner stated that the Veteran’s tinnitus was at least as likely as not a result of his hearing loss. The examiner reasoned that tinnitus is known to be a symptom associated with hearing loss. These opinions contain clear rationales for the opinions provided and are thus entitled to great weight of probative value.  The record does not contain any contrary opinion regarding whether tinnitus is caused or aggravated by service-connected bilateral hearing loss.
The Board finds the evidence is at least in equipoise, resolves any doubt in favor of the Veteran, and concludes that the Veteran has tinnitus that is proximately due to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss. 38 U.S.C. §§ 1110, 1131, 5107(b); 38 C.F.R. §§ 3.303(a), 3.310(a).  Therefore, service connection for tinnitus is warranted.
 
M. SORISIO
Veterans Law Judge
Board of Veterans’ Appeals
ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD	M. H. White, Associate Counsel