The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus was granted. The Board found that the Veteran met the criteria for a current diagnosis of PTSD related to his military service, and also found evidence supporting a relationship between his in-service noise exposure and his current hearing loss and tinnitus.
The deciding factor: The VA psychiatrist confirmed the presence of PTSD based on the Veteran's reported stressors during service. The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were related to his in-service noise exposure, consistent with the places, types, and circumstances of his service.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired psychiatric disorder, Bilateral hearing loss, Tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 2, 2016
- Citation
- 1634692
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1634692.
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.
- 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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability and an increased rating for his acquired psychiatric disorder. The Board found that there was no evidence linking the current disabilities to military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a low back disorder was reopened, and his claims for increased ratings of bilateral knee instability were granted. His hearing loss claim was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a higher rating for PTSD and dismissed his appeals regarding increased ratings for tinnitus and a right hand disability due to lack of timely filing of Notice of Disagreement.
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