The Board granted readjudication of the claim for service connection for hearing loss and an initial 50 percent disability rating for depressive disorder.

The deciding factor: There was an approximate balance of positive and negative evidence regarding whether a higher rating had been warranted, leading to the grant of the benefit-of-the-doubt doctrine in favor of the Veteran.

Claimed conditions

hearing loss disorder, depressive disorder

How they argued it

Reopened with new and material evidence

Exposure basis

None

Rating assigned

50%

Decision date

November 5, 2025

Citation

A25096377

Want to see how appeals like this one tend to go? Appeals like mine