The Veteran's initial claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss from October 28, 2011 to April 29, 2019 was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating during this period.,The Veteran is seeking an evaluation in excess of 30 percent and an earlier effective date for his major depressive disorder with an unspecified anxiety disorder from October 28, 2011 to May 5, 2019. The Board has remanded these issues due to a duty-to-assist error.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support the Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his bilateral hearing loss during the period under appeal.,VA failed to obtain all relevant medical records, including those from Dr. M., which could have provided more context and information about the Veteran's mental health condition.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Major Depressive Disorder with an unspecified anxiety disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 25, 2024
- Citation
- A24014103
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 A24014103.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The issue remains under direct service connection theory.
- Denied
The Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 30 percent, the highest non-compensable rating available. The Board found that his hearing loss did not warrant a higher rating based on VA examinations and medical records.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current hearing loss and his active service. The Board noted that while he had complaints of earaches in service, these did not indicate a current disability.
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