The Veteran's claim for an initial rating of 50 percent for unspecified anxiety disorder is granted. The claim for service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability is also granted.
The deciding factor: The evidence supports the presence of current symptoms and in-service noise exposure, which are sufficient to establish service connection for the bilateral hearing loss disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Unspecified anxiety disorder, Bilateral hearing loss disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- January 23, 2024
- Citation
- 24003229
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 882 · Granted: 35% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 24003229.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, insomnia/sleep disorder, and unspecified anxiety disorder (also claimed as anxiety, depression, and panic disorder) due to the Veteran's in-service stressful events.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a higher level of SMC was denied as the Board found that he is already in receipt of SMC at the (l) rate based on need for regular aid and attendance due to service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease with congestive heart failure. A second award of SMC at the (l) rate based on need for regular aid and attendance was not warranted.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected major depressive disorder with unspecified anxiety disorder and alcohol use disorder has rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment, which the Board finds meets the criteria for a TDIU.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for migraines as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected unspecified anxiety disorder, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.
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