The Veteran's claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss was denied due to lack of diagnosed disability, and new evidence does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.,The Veteran’s right knee disability is currently rated at 10 percent under Diagnostic Codes 5024-5260. The Board finds no basis for a higher rating based on current evidence.,The Veteran's migraine headaches are currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board does not find that they meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating due to severe economic inadaptability.,PTSD is currently rated at 30 percent under Diagnostic Code 9411. The Board finds no basis for a higher rating based on current evidence.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's claim of service connection for right ear hearing loss was denied due to lack of diagnosed disability, and new evidence does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.,The Veteran’s right knee disability has been manifested by normal range of motion but with pain. The current 10 percent rating is recognition that the disability may cause some limited range of motion.,PTSD was rated at 30 percent under Diagnostic Code 9411, and the Board finds no basis for a higher rating based on current evidence.,The Veteran's PTSD symptoms do not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating due to severe economic inadaptability.
- Claimed conditions
- Right ear hearing loss, Right knee tendonitis, knee strain, and patellofemoral pain syndrome, Migraine headaches, Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 18, 2019
- Citation
- 19147393
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board granted earlier effective dates of November 5, 2021, for the grants of service connection and eligibility for DEA benefits.
- 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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 20 percent rating for the Veteran's left knee strain, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and service connection for a right ankle disorder. Other claims were denied or remanded.
- 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.
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