The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and has remanded the service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depression.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner failed to provide a well-supported opinion regarding the nature and etiology of any diagnosed psychiatric disability, specifically addressing the Veteran’s statements about his military service experiences and their relation to his current symptoms.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Sensorineural Hearing Loss, Acquired Psychiatric Disorder (including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Depression)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 5, 2020
- Citation
- A20016591
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 A20016591.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including persistent depressive disorder, migraines, tinnitus, and bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and occupational history.
- Granted
Service connection for PTSD is granted, effective May 22, 2023.,Effective May 22, 2023, service connection for right total hip replacement and related conditions are granted.,An earlier effective date of May 22, 2023, but no earlier, is granted for the grant of service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss.,Effective May 22, 2023, service connection for recurrent tinnitus is granted.,Effective May 22, 2023, service connection for degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine with degenerative arthritis and spinal stenosis is granted.
- Granted
The Veteran's hearing loss disability is granted as service-connected, with no specific date provided.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including diabetes mellitus and neurogenic bladder condition, require regular aid and attendance. Therefore, special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance is granted. As the issue of housebound status is moot due to the grant of aid and attendance, special monthly compensation based on housebound status is dismissed.
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