The Board granted service connection for left ear hearing loss and denied it for right ear hearing loss, a tooth disability, and an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for unspecified anxiety disorder.
The deciding factor: The evidence was at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's left ear hearing loss is related to service, but there was no persuasive evidence that he has had right ear hearing loss or a tooth disability during the pendency of the claim. The Veteran's anxiety disorder did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
- Claimed conditions
- left ear hearing loss, right ear hearing loss, tooth disability, unspecified anxiety disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- April 7, 2025
- Citation
- A25031830
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 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for unspecified anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder to obtain an adequate medical opinion regarding their etiology.
- 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection of left ear hearing loss due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error, as an addendum opinion is necessary to address evidence of in-service hearing loss and convert audiometric testing results from ASA to ISO-ANSI standards.
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