The Board found that the veteran's PTSD and hearing loss were not incurred in or aggravated by active military service. The claim for PTSD was denied due to insufficient corroborated stressor events, while the claim for bilateral hearing loss did not result from service-connected conditions.
The deciding factor: The claimed stressors for PTSD could not be verified as they occurred during a period of combat operations and were not witnessed or experienced by the veteran. The Board found that the veteran's current hearing loss was not caused by his military noise exposure, as there is no evidence linking it to service-connected conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Bilateral Hearing Loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 16, 2007
- Citation
- 0725477
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 0725477.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
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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