The Board denied the veteran's claims for a compensable initial disability rating for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including anxiety disorder. The evidence did not support the veteran's assertions of in-service stress or combat exposure.
The deciding factor: There was no competent medical evidence to establish that the veteran had a current chronic disability attributable to his military service, particularly given the lack of credible evidence of combat involvement and the absence of any diagnosed psychiatric condition during service. The VA treatment records indicated anxiety symptoms but did not provide a link between these symptoms and service.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Acquired Psychiatric Disability (Anxiety Disorder)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 2, 2007
- Citation
- 0713021
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 0713021.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- 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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current hearing loss and his active service. The Board noted that while he had complaints of earaches in service, these did not indicate a current disability.
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