The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, specifically PTSD, and bilateral hearing loss were denied. The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD or any other acquired psychiatric disorder other than cannabis abuse. Bilateral hearing loss was also denied as there is no evidence of a current disability.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied because he did not meet the criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD and his diagnosed condition, cannabis abuse, does not qualify for direct service connection due to VA regulations prohibiting it when related to substance abuse. Bilateral hearing loss was also denied as there is no evidence of a current disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired Psychiatric Disorder (to include Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)), Cannabis Abuse
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 23, 2014
- Citation
- 1418208
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 1418208.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD is granted at a 70% evaluation effective from February 6, 2017.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD has been granted an increased rating of 50% effective June 9, 2017. Service connection for right knee scars and gastrointestinal disorders have not been established. The Board also found that the earlier effective date for PTSD is July 12, 2012.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including TBI, right knee disorder, low back disorder, PTSD, headaches, and skin disorder are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD; a neck disability; a left shoulder disability; and degenerative joint disease of the left knee. The evidence did not support the finding that these conditions had their onset during service or were otherwise related to service.
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