The Veteran's claims for service connection for a chronic skin disorder, an initial schedular compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, and an initial schedular rating in excess of 30 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder were all denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support these claims.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's medical records did not show any current diagnosis or service connection for a chronic skin disorder, resulting in no service connection being granted. His bilateral hearing loss was rated as noncompensable due to his average decibel loss and speech recognition scores at the July 2018 VA audiological examination. The Veteran’s PTSD symptoms were found to be consistent with a 30 percent rating, which is the lowest level of disability for this condition.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic skin disorder, bilateral hearing loss, posttraumatic stress disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 27, 2020
- Citation
- A20016060
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- 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 multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Partly granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted, while fibromyalgia, internal or external hemorrhoids, bilateral hearing loss, and neuropathy are denied.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding it at least as likely as not related to the Veteran's in-service noise exposure.
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