The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss originated in service due to acoustic trauma, and granted service connection for this condition. The issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder remains pending.
The deciding factor: Service records show exposure to noise during service, which is considered as a form of military exposure. The Veteran has provided credible testimony about his symptoms post-service and the VA examiner confirmed current hearing loss meeting VA criteria. For the psychiatric claim, the Board found that while there was no direct evidence linking the disorder to service, the weight of evidence supported a finding that it originated in service.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD, anxiety disorder, and ADD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- June 3, 2014
- Citation
- 1424989
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1424989.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim, specifically needing an addendum opinion from a VA examiner. The Veteran will be asked to provide any missing records and former employers' information.
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