The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, depression, right shoulder disorder, lumbar spine disorder, cervical spine disorder, and chronic headaches. These conditions are presumed to be related to his active duty in the Southwest Asia Theater of Operations during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's combat experience in Iraq is recognized, and his current hearing loss and psychiatric symptoms are considered presumptive due to service in the Gulf War theater.
- Claimed conditions
- Right ear hearing loss disorder, Left ear hearing loss disorder, Acquired psychiatric disorder (depression), Right shoulder disorder, Lumbar spine disorder, Cervical spine disorder, Chronic headaches
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 1, 2014
- Citation
- 1414098
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 1414098.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
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 Veteran's claims for service connection for a cervical spine disorder and psychiatric disorder due to incomplete information. The Veteran needs to provide his complete service personnel records, verify his alleged combat experience in Vietnam, and undergo VA examinations for both conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a cervical spine disorder, finding that there was no evidence of a causal relationship between his current condition and his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the initial ratings assigned for psoriatic arthritis of the upper and lower extremities, as well as service connection for a cervical spine disorder, need to be remanded due to incomplete evidence. The Veteran's periods of active duty for training (ADT) and inactive duty for training (IDT) must be confirmed, and all relevant medical records should be obtained.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him in need of regular aid and attendance, warranting an effective date of January 8, 2014 for SMC based on the need for aid and attendance.
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