The Veteran's PTSD warrants an initial rating of 70 percent from November 20, 2007 through August 13, 2008 due to occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.
The deciding factor: The Veteran experienced near-continuous panic or depression affecting the ability to function independently, intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks, impaired impulse control (threatening his wife with violence), difficulty adapting to stressful circumstances, and inability to establish effective relationships due to PTSD symptoms.
- Claimed conditions
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Bilateral Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, Right Knee Disorder, Left Knee Disorder
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- May 10, 2016
- Citation
- 1618791
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 1618791.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The issue remains under direct service connection theory.
- Denied
The Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 30 percent, the highest non-compensable rating available. The Board found that his hearing loss did not warrant a higher rating based on VA examinations and medical records.
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