The Veteran's appeal is denied as his service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a higher rating or service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, sinusitis, peptic ulcer disease, radiculopathy of the left upper and lower extremities, degenerative arthritis of the cervical and lumbar spine.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran's current conditions are due to his service-connected disabilities or any other service connection theory. The Veteran has no diagnosed psychiatric disorder, and his hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable. His sinusitis symptoms do not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired psychiatric disorder (anxiety and/or depression), Bilateral hearing loss, Sinusitis, Peptic ulcer disease, Radiculopathy of the left upper extremity, Radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, Degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine with right upper extremity radiculopathy, Degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 5, 2017
- Citation
- 1736981
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 1736981.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied extraschedular ratings for the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine and lower extremity radiculopathy disabilities, as well as a total disability rating based on individual unemployability prior to February 3, 2011.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a low back disorder was reopened, and his claims for increased ratings of bilateral knee instability were granted. His hearing loss claim was denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeals of the initial ratings for his service-connected chronic cough and bilateral hearing loss are remanded due to procedural errors in the evidentiary record.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral pes planus with hammer toes, hallux valgus and degenerative arthritis, sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and bilateral kidney cysts, rendered him unable to secure or follow gainful employment. The Board granted the TDIU based on these conditions.
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