The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection as it began during active duty.,Bilateral hearing loss is not considered a disability for VA purposes due to the presence of normal auditory thresholds in all tested frequencies.,Service connection for major depressive and anxiety disorder remains denied, with an increased rating of 70% being granted. The Veteran's current condition does not meet criteria for total social impairment.,TDIU prior to May 9, 2014 was granted based on the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not show that the Veteran experienced total social impairment or a disability level warranting a higher rating.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, depressive and anxiety disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- August 15, 2019
- Citation
- 19163232
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 961 · Granted: 20% (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 19163232.
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.
- 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 bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim, specifically needing an addendum opinion from a VA examiner. The Veteran will be asked to provide any missing records and former employers' information.
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