Service connection is granted for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as the evidence is in equipoise regarding their relationship to service.,Service connection is granted for unspecified depressive disorder, as the Veteran's symptoms are at least as likely as not related to service.,Service connection is denied for PTSD due to lack of a diagnosis under DSM criteria. Service connection is also denied for skin disorders and CAD, as there is no evidence of their onset in service or within one year post-service discharge.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are related to acoustic trauma during basic training, with the Board resolving reasonable doubt in his favor.,The Veteran's unspecified depressive disorder is at least as likely as not related to service based on his reported stressors from basic training.,PTSD was not diagnosed under DSM criteria. The Veteran's symptoms were attributed to other stressors and are considered part of his unspecified depressive disorder.,There is no evidence of skin disorders or CAD during active military service, nor within one year post-service discharge.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, unspecified depressive disorder, skin disorders (intradermal nevus, dermatofibroma, seborrheic keratosis, atopic dermatitis, lichen simplex chronicus), coronary artery disease (CAD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 9, 2020
- Citation
- 20001521
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,050 · Granted: 23% (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 20001521.
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 service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
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