The Board denied service connection for traumatic brain injury and a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss, and remanded the claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a current diagnosis of TBI or a compensable level of hearing loss. The VA examination was given more weight than the private chiropractor's report due to its thoroughness and the opinion of a neurologist. For the psychiatric condition, the in-service notation of mild sleep disturbance due to situational anxiety was not adequately addressed by the examiner.
- Claimed conditions
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Bilateral Hearing Loss, Acquired Psychiatric Disorder, to include Anxiety Disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 27, 2025
- Citation
- A25056034
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.
- Granted
The Board granted a rating of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI), as the Veteran's symptoms most nearly approximated occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.
- 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.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD, entitlement to TDIU, and SMC based on housebound status.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for asbestosis, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), rhinitis, sinusitis, and asthma. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was also denied a compensable rating.
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