The Veteran's petition to reopen claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus was denied. The claim for increased rating for CAD from October 1, 2014 to July 16, 2015 was granted with a 60% disability rating. The claim for increased rating for CAD from November 1, 2015 to May 26, 2021 was denied. Service connection for hypertension is granted due to herbicide exposure under the PACT Act. The claim for secondary service connection for COPD due to CAD was denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus were not related to his service as there was no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service. His hypertension is presumed to be caused by herbicide exposure, but the PACT Act does not apply retroactively. The COPD claim was denied because it was determined that the condition was not secondary to CAD.
- Claimed conditions
- Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), Hypertension, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 60%
- Decision date
- November 23, 2022
- Citation
- 22065719
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 22065719.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for hypertension, finding that it did not manifest during service and is not causally related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicides or service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and active duty service or herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a higher rating for PTSD and dismissed his appeals regarding increased ratings for tinnitus and a right hand disability due to lack of timely filing of Notice of Disagreement.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.