The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as he does not have a current disability.,Service connection for low back pain and dysfunction is also denied due to lack of credible evidence linking the condition to active duty. The Veteran did not report recurrent back pain during his separation examination, and there are no contemporaneous medical records indicating treatment for this issue.,The Veteran's PTSD claim has been granted with a 50% rating since February 10, 2020. The Board found that the symptoms associated with PTSD more closely approximate those of a 70% disability rating.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not support a finding of current hearing loss for VA purposes and there is no credible evidence linking low back pain to active duty service.,There was no credible evidence linking the Veteran's low back pain and dysfunction to his military service. The separation examination did not identify any spinal abnormality, and the Veteran denied experiencing recurrent back pain during that time.,The symptoms associated with PTSD more closely approximate those of a 70% disability rating as they cause occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, low back pain and dysfunction, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- June 10, 2024
- Citation
- A24030469
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 A24030469.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder and PTSD. The Veteran will be asked to provide additional medical records and undergo a VA examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, is being remanded due to the need for additional development regarding his alleged stressors.
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