The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim is dismissed as he withdrew the issue from appeal.,Service connection for left and right knee conditions, diagnosed as patellofemoral pain syndrome, is granted due to continuity of symptomatology since service.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depressive disorder with alcohol dependence, is granted based on credible supporting evidence of in-service stressors and a current diagnosis of PTSD.,Service connection for traumatic brain injury is granted due to a documented in-service skull fracture.

The deciding factor: The Veteran withdrew the issue of bilateral hearing loss from appeal.,The Board found that the Veteran's accounts regarding his knee conditions were credible, raising reasonable doubt as to their initial onset during service.,PTSD was established based on consistent supporting evidence and in-service stressors. The depression symptoms are considered part of PTSD for rating purposes.,Service connection is granted due to a documented in-service injury (skull fracture).

Claimed conditions

bilateral hearing loss, left knee condition (patellofemoral pain syndrome), right knee condition (patellofemoral pain syndrome), acquired psychiatric disorder (including post-traumatic stress disorder and depressive disorder with alcohol dependence), traumatic brain injury

How they argued it

Direct service connection

Exposure basis

None

Rating assigned

None in this decision

Decision date

October 31, 2019

Citation

19182593

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 19182593.