The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disability to include PTSD and depression are not supported by the evidence of record. The Board finds that there is no current diagnosis or competent medical nexus linking these conditions to his military service.
The deciding factor: There is no competent medical evidence showing a current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, or an acquired psychiatric disability to include PTSD and depression, and no medical opinion linking any such disabilities to the Veteran's military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Hallux Valgus with Left Foot Bunionectomy, Bilateral Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, Hepatitis C, Acquired Psychiatric Disability to include Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Depression
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 23, 2009
- Citation
- 0948295
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 0948295.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- 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.
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