The Veteran's service connection for bilateral hearing loss was granted, while claims for other conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome, headaches, a heart disorder, hypertension, irritable colon syndrome, kidney removal, kidney cancer, liver disorder, lung disorder, renal disease, sleep apnea, stomach disorder, and stress disorder were denied.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support the presence of current disabilities for most conditions claimed, or a link between service and any diagnosed conditions. For bilateral hearing loss, there was an acknowledgment of in-service acoustic trauma but no significant permanent shift in hearing thresholds from entrance to separation, leading to a grant based on equipoise.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, chronic fatigue syndrome, headaches, heart disorder, hypertension, irritable colon syndrome, kidney, removal of, kidney cancer, liver disorder, lung disorder, renal disease, sleep apnea, stomach disorder, stress disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- March 25, 2025
- Citation
- A25027328
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 284 · Granted: 35% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 A25027328.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
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.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's headaches are at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected traumatic brain injury, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- 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.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.