The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability does not warrant an initial compensable rating, as it is currently rated at Level I. The issue of entitlement to a higher rating for PTSD remains pending and will be remanded for further development.
The deciding factor: The veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability was found to have been consistently rated at Level I since October 18, 2002, the effective date of his grant of service connection. The Board did not find any evidence that warranted a higher rating based on the current VA audiometric test results.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss disability, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 2, 2006
- Citation
- 0602986
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for PTSD to be readjudicated on the merits due to new and relevant evidence.
- Partly granted
The veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions were denied, except for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss disability which were granted. The veteran was also granted service connection for hypertension.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including tension headaches, bilateral plantar fasciitis, and a bilateral hearing loss disability. The Board also denied an initial compensable rating for the Veteran's headache disability.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.
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