The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder and granted a higher rating of 30 percent for GERD. The Veteran's hypertension is rated at 10 percent, tinnitus at 10 percent, and bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable rating.
The deciding factor: The evidence received since the last denial raised a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim for service connection for PTSD. The Veteran's GERD symptoms are manifested by two or more of the symptoms for a 30 percent evaluation with less severity, warranting a higher 30 percent rating. The Veteran's hypertension does not meet the criteria for a higher 20 percent rating due to his blood pressure readings consistently below 160/90 mmHg. Tinnitus is assigned a 10 percent rating as it affects both ears.
- Claimed conditions
- Psychiatric Disorder (PTSD and Depression), Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), Hypertension, Tinnitus, Bilateral Hearing Loss
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- March 30, 2018
- Citation
- 1818545
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 1818545.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for hypertension, finding that it did not manifest during service and is not causally related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicides or service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The issue remains under direct service connection theory.
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