The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 10 percent prior to August 24, 2020 and at 50 percent thereafter. The Board has determined that a higher rating is not warranted.,PTSD with chronic sleep impairment was initially rated at 30 percent in February 2018 and increased to 50 percent in March 2018. The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent prior to August 7, 2020 is being remanded.,The Veteran's TDIU claim is also being remanded.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not support a higher disability rating for the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss or PTSD with chronic sleep impairment. The claims are being remanded to obtain additional treatment records from the Detroit Vet Center and to ensure substantial compliance with prior remand instructions.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) with chronic sleep impairment
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 2, 2021
- Citation
- 21040255
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 21040255.
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 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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