The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including major depressive disorder, was granted. The claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus were reopened due to new evidence received since the prior denial in November 1990.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the Veteran’s current mental health condition (major depressive disorder) is at least as likely as not caused by events during his military service, including noise exposure. The hearing loss and tinnitus were also found to be related to service due to the Veteran's reports of symptoms from service until now.
- Claimed conditions
- Major depressive disorder, Bilateral hearing loss disability, Tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- April 5, 2019
- Citation
- 19125721
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of May 17, 2019, for a 70 percent disability rating for PTSD but denied earlier effective dates for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.
- Partly granted
The Board granted readjudication of previously denied claims for service connection for PTSD and COPD, while remanding other issues including entitlement to service connection for an eye disorder, hypertension, tinnitus, a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, TDIU, and an initial rating for PTSD.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus due to a lack of jurisdiction.
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