The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is granted service connection. The left ear hearing loss and PTSD are both rated at the minimum compensable level, while prostate cancer was reduced to a 20 percent rating from November 1, 2009 to March 6, 2018.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's conditions were found to be related to service through direct evidence of in-service noise exposure and continuity of symptoms since separation. The PTSD rating is based on the current level of disability with no significant impairment warranting a higher rating.
- Claimed conditions
- Right ear hearing loss, Left ear hearing loss, Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Residuals of prostate cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- May 23, 2019
- Citation
- 19140329
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,162 · Granted: 21% (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 19140329.
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 Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) at the (o) rate and SMC at the (r)(2) rate, effective January 19, 2025. The decision finds that the Veteran's service-connected conditions warrant these awards due to his need for aid and attendance.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to insufficient evidence and need for additional examinations.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for a right ear hearing loss disability is dismissed. The appeal for service connection for bilateral knee disabilities is denied.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss disability does not meet or approximate criteria for a compensable (10%) disability rating at any point during the appeal period.
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