The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left leg disability was denied. The claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and depression NOS were partially granted, with the hearing loss rating being initially at 20 percent effective June 7, 2017, and the depression rating remaining at 50 percent. A TDIU was granted effective June 15, 2017.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not have a diagnosed left leg disability that could be linked to service. The hearing loss met the criteria for a 20% rating as of June 7, 2017, but no higher. The depression met the criteria for a 50% rating throughout the appeal period.
- Claimed conditions
- left leg disability, bilateral hearing loss, depression NOS
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- May 18, 2018
- Citation
- 18103392
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 18103392.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has expanded the scope of the claim to include any mental health disorder raised by the record and has remanded for additional development regarding service connection for left leg, ankle, and psychiatric disabilities.
- 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.
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