The Veteran's application to reopen the previously denied claim of service connection for hypertension is granted, and he is now entitled to this benefit under the PACT Act.,Service connection for right ear hearing loss as secondary to TBI is granted. The Board finds that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran's current hearing loss in the right ear is proximately due to his service-connected TBI.
The deciding factor: The PACT Act of 2022 recognized hypertension as a presumptive disease for herbicide exposure, and the Veteran was exposed during his service in Vietnam. The medical evidence supports a current diagnosis of hypertension.,The March 2014 VA TBI examiner's opinion is more probative than the February 2014 and January 2020 opinions because it considered the Veteran's report of hearing loss after a TBI incident.
- Claimed conditions
- hypertension, right ear hearing loss, sleep apnea, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), right knee disability
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 1, 2023
- Citation
- 23041980
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 23041980.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess his bilateral knee and hip disabilities.
- 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to conflicting opinions regarding service connection for peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and skin disabilities related to herbicide exposure.
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.