The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, right and left knee strains, and PTSD have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of in-service noise exposure or continuity of symptoms postservice sufficient to establish service connection.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of the evidence showed no manifestation of hearing loss during service or within one year after discharge, and there was no showing of continuity of symptoms. The VA examiners found that current bilateral hearing loss is not related to service exposure. For knee strains, the VA examiners noted normal range of motion and absence of instability, subluxation, cartilage condition, tibia/fibula impairment or genu recurvatum. For PTSD, the evidence did not show symptoms meeting criteria for a 30% rating prior to July 6, 2011.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, right knee strain, left knee strain, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- October 22, 2019
- Citation
- 19180446
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,699 · Granted: 17% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 19180446.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder and PTSD. The Veteran will be asked to provide additional medical records and undergo a VA examination.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, is being remanded due to the need for additional development regarding his alleged stressors.
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