The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and an increased rating of 70 percent, but no higher, for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The deciding factor: The evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to in-service acoustic trauma. The Veteran's service-connected PTSD symptoms and overall impairment have more nearly approximated deficiencies in most areas, but not total occupational and social impairment.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral hearing loss, Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- January 3, 2024
- Citation
- 24000325
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for PTSD, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor and finding that his PTSD is related to an in-service military sexual trauma (MST) during a period of ACDUTRA.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, as there was no evidence of a current disability in the right ear and insufficient evidence to establish a nexus between the left ear hearing loss and service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter for a medical clarification regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected epilepsy has aggravated his bilateral hearing loss.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss to obtain an addendum opinion addressing the Veteran's lay statements regarding in-service acoustic trauma and a rocket blast injury.
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