The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability is denied. The claims for service connection for tinnitus, PTSD with major depression based on MST, and sleep apnea are granted.
The deciding factor: Service records do not show current bilateral hearing loss or any in-service noise exposure that could have caused it. Tinnitus was linked to military service and post-service occupational exposures. Sleep apnea is not related to service. Service connection for PTSD with major depression based on MST is established due to credible evidence of in-service sexual trauma.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss Disability, Tinnitus, Sleep Apnea, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) with Major Depression based on Military Sexual Trauma (MST)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 15, 2020
- Citation
- 20003772
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of May 17, 2019, for a 70 percent disability rating for PTSD but denied earlier effective dates for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.
- Partly granted
The Board granted readjudication of previously denied claims for service connection for PTSD and COPD, while remanding other issues including entitlement to service connection for an eye disorder, hypertension, tinnitus, a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, TDIU, and an initial rating for PTSD.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus due to a lack of jurisdiction.
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