The Veteran's appeal regarding a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus has been withdrawn. The claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied in the August 2004 rating decision, and no new and material evidence has been received since then.,The claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is reopened due to the submission of a September 2017 VA examination report showing a diagnosis of bilateral knee strain. The Veteran's testimony at the March 2022 Board hearing supports this finding.,Service connection for hypertension, chest pain, and heart condition has not been established as there is no evidence linking these conditions to service or post-service continuity of symptoms. Service connection for PTSD was granted with a rating of 50 percent but without an effective date prior to July 18, 2017.,Service connection for metatarsalgia status post fracture in both feet and right leg radiculopathy have been denied as there is no evidence showing these conditions are related to service or the Veteran's current symptoms. Service connection for left shoulder condition, sinus condition, sleep apnea, digestive condition (including GERD), and back condition has also not been established.,The Board found that new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen claims of service connection for bilateral knee conditions, metatarsalgia status post fracture in both feet, and PTSD. The Veteran's testimony supported these findings.
The deciding factor: New and material evidence was received to reopen the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, right and left knee conditions, metatarsalgia status post fracture in both feet, and PTSD.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, right knee condition, left knee condition, hypertension, chest pain, heart condition, metatarsalgia status post fracture, right foot, metatarsalgia status post fracture, left foot, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- July 21, 2022
- Citation
- 22041788
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 22041788.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- 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 claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
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