Veterans’ RightsAn independent resource for veterans
← All decisions
Partly granted

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service, but his depression and PTSD are not.

The deciding factor: The evidence supports a direct link between the Veteran's military service and his bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. However, there is no credible supporting evidence for a diagnosis of PTSD or a connection between his active duty and depression.

Claimed conditions
Bilateral hearing loss, Depression, PTSD, Tinnitus
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating assigned
100%
Decision date
February 25, 2009
Citation
0907043

Veterans Law Judge

MICHAEL E. KILCOYNE

Decisions by this judge: 2,020 · Granted: 19% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)

Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.

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 0907043.

What this means for you

A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.

What you can do next

Related decisions

Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.

Free starter guide for your own claim

Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.

We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.

We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.

This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.