The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the claims for an acquired psychiatric disorder, left knee degenerative joint disease, and tinnitus due to insufficient evidence.
The deciding factor: The absence of in-service or post-service complaints of hearing loss, along with the lack of a current disability meeting VA's definition of impaired hearing, led to the denial of service connection. For the other claims, further verification of duty status during March 2014 and an examination for the left knee condition were required.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as related to search and recovery efforts after a 2014 mudslide and wildfires), left knee degenerative joint disease, tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 21, 2025
- Citation
- A25045965
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for tinnitus to correct a duty to assist error, as the Veteran's lay statements regarding onset and continuity of symptoms were not adequately considered in the previous decision.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for tinnitus, cubital tunnel syndrome, right plantar fasciitis, and a right knee disability due to the lack of evidence supporting a nexus between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of April 25, 2022, for the award of service connection for tinnitus and a 100 percent initial rating for PTSD with alcohol use disorder.
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