The Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD was reopened and granted. His bilateral hearing loss is rated as noncompensable, his PTSD with MDD is rated at 70% prior to June 15, 2010, and he is entitled to a TDIU rating prior to that date.
The deciding factor: The Veteran submitted new evidence of service connection for COPD due to exposure to asbestos. His bilateral hearing loss was found to be noncompensable as his puretone thresholds were within normal limits. The PTSD with MDD met the criteria for a 70% disability rating prior to June 15, 2010.
- Claimed conditions
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Bilateral Hearing Loss, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 9, 2017
- Citation
- 1715569
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 1715569.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
- Denied
The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50% since March 23, 2004. The Board found that a higher rating is not warranted prior to February 15, 2005 due to the severity of his symptoms and their impact on his social and occupational functioning.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and any acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current mental health conditions and his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 70% disability rating. The Veteran also met the criteria for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
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