The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence of current hearing loss.,The Veteran's tinnitus has been assigned a maximum schedular rating of 10 percent, which is the highest available under Diagnostic Code 6260. The Veteran's appeal for an increased evaluation for tinnitus must be denied.,The effective date for the grant of service connection for tinnitus was determined to be January 7, 2016, and earlier dates are not warranted.,The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated as 70 percent disabling. The Board finds that a higher evaluation is warranted based on additional evidence received since the last rating decision.
The deciding factor: The Veteran does not meet the criteria for hearing loss under VA regulations, and his tinnitus has been assigned the maximum schedular rating.,PTSD evaluations are typically rated using Diagnostic Code 6100. The Veteran's PTSD is currently evaluated as 70 percent disabling based on symptomatology such as occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas (except during episodes of intoxication).,The effective date for the grant of service connection for tinnitus was determined to be January 7, 2016, because no formal or informal claim prior to that date established entitlement.,The Veteran's PTSD symptoms have worsened since his last evaluation in September 2015. Further examination is needed to determine if a higher rating is warranted.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 2, 2019
- Citation
- 19100050
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,612 · Granted: 16% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19100050.
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.
- 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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