The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, claimed as PTSD, was denied because there is no current diagnosis of PTSD or other acquired mental disorder.,Service connection for right ear hearing loss was also denied due to the absence of a current disability. The Veteran does not have right ear hearing loss for VA purposes.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not establish a current diagnosis of PTSD, or any other acquired mental health disorder outside of alcohol use disorder.,The audiometric evaluations showed no threshold levels meeting the criteria for a current disability in either ear. The Veteran does not have right ear hearing loss for VA purposes.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as post-traumatic stress disorder), Right ear hearing loss, Left ear hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 25, 2023
- Citation
- 23023955
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 23023955.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including major depressive disorder, as secondary to his already service-connected hearing loss and tinnitus.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to insufficient evidence and need for additional examinations.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for a right ear hearing loss disability is dismissed. The appeal for service connection for bilateral knee disabilities is denied.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss disability does not meet or approximate criteria for a compensable (10%) disability rating at any point during the appeal period.
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