The Veteran's claims for PTSD, right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, and sleep apnea were denied. The claim for service connection for a right knee disorder (including arthritis) was denied. The claim for service connection for a left knee disorder (status post left knee replacement) was denied. Service connection for hypertension due to in-service herbicide exposure is remanded.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not establish the presence of chronic symptoms related to these conditions during or after service, and no presumptive service connection provisions were met.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Right Ear Hearing Loss, Left Ear Hearing Loss, Right Knee Arthritis, Left Knee Arthritis (Status Post Left Knee Replacement), Sleep Apnea
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 14, 2020
- Citation
- 20066316
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,200 · Granted: 43% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 20066316.
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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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