The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is insufficient evidence to establish a stressor related to Vietnam or fear of hostile military activity. The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was also denied due to no showing of exceptional patterns of hearing loss.
The deciding factor: The Board found the Veteran did not engage in combat and his lay statements regarding PTSD were insufficient without corroborating evidence, leading to denial of service connection for PTSD. For bilateral hearing loss, the VA examination results showed normal or near-normal hearing acuity across all tested frequencies, precluding a compensable rating.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Bilateral Hearing Loss
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 31, 2020
- Citation
- 20051075
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 20051075.
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 claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
- Denied
The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50% since March 23, 2004. The Board found that a higher rating is not warranted prior to February 15, 2005 due to the severity of his symptoms and their impact on his social and occupational functioning.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and any acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current mental health conditions and his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 70% disability rating. The Veteran also met the criteria for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
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