The Veteran's appeal for service connection for PTSD has been dismissed as he withdrew his appeal.,Service connection for left ear hearing loss is granted based on new evidence submitted after the May 2008 denial.,Service connection for OSA and hypertension are remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their onset in service.,The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent from July 8, 2009 to March 26, 2012, and in excess of 50 percent as of March 27, 2012, for anxiety disorder NOS is remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the severity of his condition.,Service connection for a heart condition is remanded due to its potential impact on the hypertension claim.
The deciding factor: The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection for PTSD.,New evidence submitted after the May 2008 denial established that the Veteran had left ear hearing loss for VA purposes, reopening the claim.,Insufficient medical opinions regarding OSA and hypertension were provided in the remanded claims.,The Veteran's testimony indicated his anxiety disorder NOS worsened with increased medication and symptoms, requiring further evaluation.,Service connection for a heart condition is required to be determined before addressing the impact on the hypertension claim.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Left ear hearing loss, Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), Hypertension, Heart condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 26, 2019
- Citation
- 19174969
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 19174969.
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
- Denied
The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50% since March 23, 2004. The Board found that a higher rating is not warranted prior to February 15, 2005 due to the severity of his symptoms and their impact on his social and occupational functioning.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and any acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current mental health conditions and his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 70% disability rating. The Veteran also met the criteria for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
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