The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied. The Board found that the preponderance of evidence did not support a higher (compensable) rating due to worsening of his hearing impairment over the appeal period. For PTSD, service connection was granted based on presumed exposure to herbicides during service in Vietnam. Service connection for prostate cancer was denied as there were no verified instances of herbicide exposure. The Veteran's claim for service connection for prostate cancer remains pending.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's hearing loss did not warrant a higher rating due to the worsening over time, and his current audiometric results corresponded to level II for the right ear and level III for the left ear under Table VI of 38 C.F.R. § 4.85.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), prostate cancer
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 14, 2018
- Citation
- 1809597
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 1809597.
What this means for you
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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 case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder and PTSD. The Veteran will be asked to provide additional medical records and undergo a VA examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, is being remanded due to the need for additional development regarding his alleged stressors.
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