The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted service connection. The ratings for his left and right knee scars, as well as the rating for his right knee disability, are denied prior to August 25, 2022. The claims for secondary service connection of obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, an acquired psychiatric disability (adjustment disorder), and a gallbladder disability are remanded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is linked to his military service due to in-service noise exposure. His left and right knee scars were not found to be painful or unstable enough to warrant a compensable rating, and the right knee disability did not meet criteria for a higher rating prior to August 25, 2022.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Hypertension, Acquired Psychiatric Disability (Adjustment Disorder), Gallbladder Disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 1, 2024
- Citation
- A24022617
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 A24022617.
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 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.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for hypertension, finding that it did not manifest during service and is not causally related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicides or service.
- 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 Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and active duty service or herbicide exposure.
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