The veteran's effective date for additional compensation for a dependent spouse is set to August 27, 1993, with the commencement of payment on September 1, 1993. This decision grants his claim based on the criteria that the earliest possible effective date aligns with the date of his increased disability rating.
The deciding factor: The veteran's combined disability evaluation was increased to 50 percent in August 1994, and he received additional compensation for a dependent spouse from September 1, 1993. The Board applied the reasonable-doubt doctrine due to the equivocal nature of the evidence regarding when the VA should have been aware of his marital status.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, hypertension, left knee injury with arthritis on x-ray, bilateral high frequency sensorineural hearing loss, coronary artery disease (CAD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- December 13, 2000
- Citation
- 0032548
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0032548.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for asthma and remanded claims for insomnia and sleep apnea. Other conditions were denied.
- 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).
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for headaches and increased ratings for left shoulder rotator cuff tear, right shoulder rotator cuff tear, hypertension, and left and right leg restless leg syndrome. The Board denied a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of October 21, 2021, for the grant of service connection for hypertension.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.