The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and denied an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for the Veteran's service-connected psychiatric conditions. The Board granted service connection for generalized anxiety disorder, persistent depressive disorder, and alcohol use disorder with a 70% evaluation effective February 27, 2023, and increased the ratings for right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome with degenerative arthritis to 30 percent and residuals of foot injury to 10 percent.

The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was related to service or that his psychiatric conditions warranted a higher rating. However, the Board found that the Veteran met the criteria for service connection for generalized anxiety disorder, persistent depressive disorder, and alcohol use disorder with a 70% evaluation effective February 27, 2023, and increased the ratings for right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome with degenerative arthritis to 30 percent and residuals of foot injury to 10 percent.

Claimed conditions

Bilateral hearing loss, Generalized anxiety disorder with persistent depressive disorder and alcohol use disorder (psychiatric conditions), Patellofemoral pain syndrome with degenerative arthritis of the left knee, Patellofemoral pain syndrome with degenerative arthritis of the right knee, Lumbar strain with degenerative disc disease (back conditions), Residuals of foot injury (left foot condition), Left lower extremity radiculopathy, secondary to service-connected back conditions

How they argued it

Direct service connection

Exposure basis

None

Rating assigned

None in this decision

Decision date

October 14, 2025

Citation

A25088254

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