The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and bilateral hearing loss, make it impossible for him to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment. The Board finds that his combined disability rating is significant enough to preclude him from maintaining such employment.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's multiple service-connected disabilities, particularly his PTSD and bilateral hearing loss, significantly impair his ability to work due to their impact on his mental health and physical capabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), right thigh shrapnel wound, bilateral tinnitus, traumatic arthritis of the right knee with lateral instability, traumatic arthritis of the right knee with limitation of extension, bilateral hearing loss, left calf scar residuals of shrapnel wound, right thigh scar, residual scar of the right knee, associated with traumatic arthritis with limitation of extension
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 90%
- Decision date
- December 15, 2017
- Citation
- 1758213
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 1758213.
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.
- 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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