The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus was denied as the disability is already at its maximum schedular rating.,The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD, to include alcohol dependence and cognitive impairment, was denied due to lack of occupational and social impairment that would warrant such a high rating.,The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for TDIU was denied as service connection was not in effect prior to July 9, 2009.,The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for DEA benefits was denied as there is no legal basis for the assignment of such a rating prior to July 9, 2009.
The deciding factor: The current schedular rating for tinnitus already reflects its maximum severity.,PTSD symptoms do not meet the criteria for a higher rating due to occupational and social impairment.,Service connection was not in effect prior to July 9, 2009, which is when TDIU benefits were awarded.,There is no legal basis for an earlier effective date for DEA benefits as service connection was not established before that date.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 1, 2019
- Citation
- 19124072
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,757 · Granted: 23% (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 19124072.
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.
- 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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