The Veteran's initial compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied.,The Veteran's initial schedular rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus is denied.,The Veteran's initial disability rating in excess of 70 percent for major depressive disorder with insomnia and adjustment disorder (depression) is denied.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not support the claim that the Veteran’s bilateral hearing loss is more severe than the noncompensable rating currently assigned.,The criteria under which tinnitus are evaluated do not allow for a higher schedular rating, as only a single 10 percent evaluation is to be assigned for tinnitus.,The evidence does not demonstrate total occupational and social impairment due to symptoms such as suicidal ideation, gross inappropriate behavior, persistent danger of hurting self or others, intermittent inability to perform activities of daily living, disorientation to time or place, memory loss for names of close relatives, own occupation, or own name.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, Major Depressive Disorder with Insomnia and Adjustment Disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 28, 2018
- Citation
- 18160919
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 18160919.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The issue remains under direct service connection theory.
- Denied
The Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 30 percent, the highest non-compensable rating available. The Board found that his hearing loss did not warrant a higher rating based on VA examinations and medical records.
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