The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to the lack of a current diagnosis. The psychiatric disorder and sleep disorder claims are remanded as they are inextricably intertwined with the service connection claim for PTSD.
The deciding factor: The Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss, which is required for service connection under VA regulations. The psychiatric disorder and sleep disorder claims are related to the service connection claim for PTSD, which requires further examination and opinion.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Anxiety Disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 9, 2018
- Citation
- 18140901
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 18140901.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied an initial disability rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD, finding the appellant's symptoms did not more closely approximate occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD due to an inadequate medical opinion.
- Granted
The Board granted a disability rating of 70 percent for PTSD and a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU) based on the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of February 21, 2007, for the award of service connection for PTSD and major depressive disorder with anxious distress.
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