The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating for PTSD, as well as his claim for TDIU were denied. The Veteran does not have right ear hearing loss or tinnitus that is service-connected. His PTSD was rated at 30% prior to November 17, 2011, but the Board found no evidence of a higher rating due to occupational and social impairment.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not find any right ear hearing loss or tinnitus for VA purposes, thus denying service connection. The PTSD was rated at 30% based on symptoms such as depressed mood, anxiety, chronic sleep impairment, and mild memory loss.
- Claimed conditions
- right ear hearing loss, tinnitus, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy, posttraumatic stress disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- September 27, 2013
- Citation
- 1331147
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 1331147.
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 has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of foot disability and cardiovascular disorder are remanded for additional development.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran experienced tinnitus during his active duty service.
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