The Board denied service connection for hair loss, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, vision loss in both eyes (claimed as glaucoma and cataracts), and PTSD and bipolar disorder, to include nightmares, night sweats, and sleep disturbance.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran's claimed conditions were related to his honorable period of active duty service.
- Claimed conditions
- Hair loss, Bilateral hearing loss, Tinnitus, Vision loss in both eyes (claimed as glaucoma and cataracts), Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and bipolar disorder, to include nightmares, night sweats, and sleep disturbance
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 13, 2025
- Citation
- A25023322
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.
- 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.
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