The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70% effective November 8, 2010. A TDIU is granted from that date. The Veteran also has a non-compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and a 10% rating for tinnitus.
The deciding factor: PTSD symptoms meet the criteria for a 70% rating under the General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders, with significant occupational impairment due to PTSD-related symptoms such as suicidal ideation, near-continuous panic or depression, impaired impulse control, spatial disorientation, and difficulty adapting to stressful circumstances. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated at zero percent.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder with Depressive Disorder Not Otherwise Specified, Bilateral Hearing Loss, Obstructive Sleep Apnea
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- June 3, 2020
- Citation
- 20038082
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 20038082.
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 Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The issue remains under direct service connection theory.
- Denied
The Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 30 percent, the highest non-compensable rating available. The Board found that his hearing loss did not warrant a higher rating based on VA examinations and medical records.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current hearing loss and his active service. The Board noted that while he had complaints of earaches in service, these did not indicate a current disability.
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