The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased rating for a right shoulder strain, service connection for bilateral hearing loss, and other psychiatric conditions, as well as remanded several issues including service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition, tension headaches, and TDIU.
The deciding factor: The evidence of record did not support a higher rating or service connection for the claimed conditions due to limited range of motion in the right shoulder and lack of current disability for bilateral hearing loss and other psychiatric conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Right shoulder strain, Bilateral hearing loss, Acquired psychiatric condition to include posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety condition, sleep issues, and depression, Tension headaches (headaches), Low back pain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 25, 2024
- Citation
- 24003955
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.
- 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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of May 17, 2019, for a 70 percent disability rating for PTSD but denied earlier effective dates for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.
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