The Board denied the Veteran's petition to reopen his service connection claim for diabetes mellitus, denied service connection for heart disability and bilateral hearing loss, and granted an initial rating of 70 percent for PTSD. The appeal is dismissed as there was no justiciable case or controversy.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not meet the criteria to reopen the previously denied service connection claims for diabetes mellitus, heart disability, and bilateral hearing loss. For PTSD, the Board found that the Veteran's symptoms did not warrant a higher rating than 70 percent due to occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus, heart disability, bilateral hearing loss, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- December 22, 2020
- Citation
- 20080630
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,451 · Granted: 22% (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 20080630.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder and PTSD. The Veteran will be asked to provide additional medical records and undergo a VA examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, is being remanded due to the need for additional development regarding his alleged stressors.
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