The Veteran's claim for increased ratings and TDIU was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, residuals of frostbite of upper extremities, or peripheral neuropathy of lower extremities. However, the Veteran's PTSD with alcohol dependence warranted a 70% rating since June 20, 2013.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's upper extremity disabilities were not related to cold exposure in service and osteoarthritis was unrelated to prior cold injury. The PTSD symptoms resulted in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, warranting a 70% rating under Diagnostic Code 9411.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, residuals of frostbite of bilateral upper extremities, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, posttraumatic stress disorder with alcohol dependence
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- July 24, 2015
- Citation
- 1531513
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 1531513.
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.
- 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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