The Veteran's appeal was denied as there is no legal basis for an increased rating higher than 10 percent for tinnitus, and service connection for PTSD, depression, vertigo, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, and arthritis of the feet were not established. The claim for TDIU due to service-connected disabilities remains pending.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied as there was no legal basis for an increase in rating for tinnitus, and service connection could not be established for PTSD, depression, vertigo, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, or arthritis of the feet.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, depression, peripheral neuropathy of bilateral upper extremities, peripheral neuropathy of bilateral lower extremities, arthritis of bilateral feet
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 7, 2018
- Citation
- 1807865
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 1807865.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of foot disability and cardiovascular disorder are remanded for additional development.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran experienced tinnitus during his active duty service.
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