The Board denied service connection for right ear hearing loss and a compensable disability rating for left ear hearing loss, while remanding several other claims for further development.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not establish the existence of current right ear hearing loss or a compensable level of left ear hearing loss. The remaining claims were remanded to allow for additional development.
- Claimed conditions
- right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, left knee tendonitis/tendinosis with shin splints and patellofemoral pain syndrome, right knee tendonitis/tendinosis with shin splints and patellofemoral pain syndrome, sleep related disorder (claimed as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)), acquired psychiatric disorder, other than depressive disorder, (claimed as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)), erectile dysfunction (ED), to include as secondary to PTSD, right hand disability (claimed as constant loss of grip), low back disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 10, 2024
- Citation
- A24065229
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.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
- Partly granted
The Veteran was granted a 70 percent initial disability rating for PTSD effective December 2, 2021, but the claim for an increased rating in excess of 70 percent was denied. The appeal also included claims for service connection and ratings for various conditions, some of which were granted while others were remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities to the AOJ for further development and consideration of evidence not previously considered.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 20 percent disability rating for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy from April 3, 2023 onward, but denied higher ratings prior to that date. Service connection was also granted for alcohol use disorder as secondary to PTSD with traumatic brain injury.
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