Service connection for tinnitus is granted.,The effective date for the grant of service connection for PTSD is set at July 23, 2012.,An effective date prior to July 23, 2012 for a 20 percent rating for lumbar spine disability is denied.
The deciding factor: The evidence shows that the Veteran’s tinnitus manifested within one year of separation or is secondary to a service-connected disability (PTSD).,The earliest effective date for the establishment of service connection for PTSD is July 23, 2012 – the date the Veteran first filed a claim.,There is no evidence showing worsening in the lumbar spine disability within one year prior to the date of the Veteran's claim.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), lumbar spine disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- January 7, 2019
- Citation
- 19101578
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,017 · Granted: 36% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19101578.
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.
- 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder and PTSD. The Veteran will be asked to provide additional medical records and undergo a VA 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, is being remanded due to the need for additional development regarding his alleged stressors.
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