The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and unspecified depressive disorder based on credible evidence of acoustic trauma and service-related stressors. The Board denied service connection for PTSD, skin disorders, and coronary artery disease due to insufficient evidence of service origin, and remanded the erectile dysfunction claim for further development.
The deciding factor: The Board resolved reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor for hearing loss and tinnitus due to approximate balance of evidence regarding acoustic trauma during basic training, for depressive disorder based on credible evidence of a stressful training incident and supporting medical opinion, but denied CAD and skin disorders due to lack of in-service evidence and symptom onset years after service separation.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, unspecified depressive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), skin disorders, coronary artery disease (CAD), erectile dysfunction
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 9, 2020
- Citation
- 20001521
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Veteran was granted a 70 percent initial disability rating for PTSD effective December 2, 2021, but the claim for an increased rating in excess of 70 percent was denied. The appeal also included claims for service connection and ratings for various conditions, some of which were granted while others were remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for tinnitus to correct a duty to assist error, as the Veteran's lay statements regarding onset and continuity of symptoms were not adequately considered in the previous decision.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for tinnitus, cubital tunnel syndrome, right plantar fasciitis, and a right knee disability due to the lack of evidence supporting a nexus between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.
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