The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service connection is established based on in-service noise exposure.,PTSD is granted as service connection is established based on combat stressors reported by the Veteran.,Squamous cell carcinoma appeal is dismissed due to withdrawal of claim.,Residuals of total knee arthroplasty and lumbar injury are remanded for further examination.
The deciding factor: Service connection is granted as the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are related to in-service noise exposure, with no shift in thresholds noted at separation. PTSD is also service-connected based on combat stressors reported by the Veteran.,PTSD was diagnosed based on in-service stressors including witnessing deaths and injuries during evacuation missions. The Veteran has a diagnosis of PTSD that conforms to DSM-5 criteria.,Squamous cell carcinoma appeal is dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his claim prior to decision.,Residuals of total knee arthroplasty and lumbar injury are remanded for further examination due to lack of in-service treatment records.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, squamous cell carcinoma (dismissed), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 26, 2018
- Citation
- 18121618
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 18121618.
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 service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- 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.
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