The Board has dismissed the appeals for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The effective date of October 4, 2017, for the grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted. An earlier effective date prior to August 31, 2006, for the grant of service connection for a trauma disorder with depressive disorder is denied. The claims are remanded for further development and readjudication.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's appeals were dismissed due to withdrawal by his representative. An earlier effective date was granted for bilateral hearing loss but not for the trauma disorder with depressive disorder.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral hearing loss, Trauma disorder with depressive disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 30, 2021
- Citation
- 21077511
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 21077511.
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 a low back disorder was reopened, and his claims for increased ratings of bilateral knee instability were granted. His hearing loss claim was denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeals of the initial ratings for his service-connected chronic cough and bilateral hearing loss are remanded due to procedural errors in the evidentiary record.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral pes planus with hammer toes, hallux valgus and degenerative arthritis, sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and bilateral kidney cysts, rendered him unable to secure or follow gainful employment. The Board granted the TDIU based on these conditions.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus) do not prevent him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment.
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