The Board denied the veteran's claims for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, an earlier effective date for the grant of a 70 percent rating for PTSD with major depressive disorder, and service connection for right ear hearing loss disability, hypertension, body fatigue due to an undiagnosed illness, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) due to an undiagnosed illness, migratory joint pain and muscle cramps due to an undiagnosed illness, a respiratory disorder due to an undiagnosed illness, skin rashes due to an undiagnosed illness, and enlarged lymph nodes due to an undiagnosed illness.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support the veteran's claims for service connection or increased ratings as it was either redundant of previous evidence or failed to show a current disability that met VA criteria for a hearing loss or hypertension. The Veteran's symptoms were stable and there was no increase in severity within the year prior to his claim.
- Claimed conditions
- left ear hearing loss, hypertension, right ear hearing loss, PTSD with major depressive disorder, body fatigue due to an undiagnosed illness, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) due to an undiagnosed illness, migratory joint pain and muscle cramps due to an undiagnosed illness, respiratory disorder due to an undiagnosed illness, skin rashes due to an undiagnosed illness, enlarged lymph nodes due to an undiagnosed illness
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 8, 2024
- Citation
- 24001151
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 granted an effective date of October 21, 2021, for the grant of service connection for hypertension.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including prostate cancer and related disabilities, urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, hypertension, varicose veins, lumbar spine disability, hip arthritis, shoulder arthritis, ankle arthritis, knee strain, knee replacement, and hand arthritis. The only condition granted was a 10 percent rating for a fracture of the right proximal first metacarpal.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for headaches and increased ratings for left shoulder rotator cuff tear, right shoulder rotator cuff tear, hypertension, and left and right leg restless leg syndrome. The Board denied a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder.
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