The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is not service-connected. The Board finds insufficient evidence to support a finding of current bilateral hearing loss for VA purposes.,For the entirety of the appeal period, the criteria for a rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD have not been met.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's right ear hearing loss does not meet the requirements for a disability under VA regulations. The March 2017 examiner found no evidence of current bilateral hearing loss.,The Veteran’s symptoms do not warrant a higher rating as they do not include suicidal ideation, obsessional rituals, speech intermittently illogical or irrelevant, near-continuous panic or depression affecting the ability to function independently, appropriately and effectively; impaired impulse control such as unprovoked irritability with periods of violence; spatial disorientation; neglect of personal appearance and hygiene; or difficulty in adapting to stressful circumstances.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral hearing loss, Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Cardiovascular disorder (to include a myocardial infarction), Cerebrovascular ischemic stroke, Diabetes mellitus, type II (DM II), Hypertension, Colon cancer, Gastrointestinal disorder (including diverticulitis), Erectile dysfunction (ED)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 12, 2019
- Citation
- 19128825
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for PTSD, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor and finding that his PTSD is related to an in-service military sexual trauma (MST) during a period of ACDUTRA.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, as there was no evidence of a current disability in the right ear and insufficient evidence to establish a nexus between the left ear hearing loss and service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and hypertension, to include as secondary to left orchiectomy, for further development in accordance with the PACT Act.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter for a medical clarification regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected epilepsy has aggravated his bilateral hearing loss.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.