The Veteran's initial claim for an increased rating for allergic rhinitis was denied as his symptoms did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating prior to October 20, 2010 and a rating in excess of 10 percent beginning October 20, 2010. The Veteran's PTSD was also denied as he did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 70 percent.,The Veteran's allergic rhinitis was found to have greater than 50 percent obstruction of nasal passage on both sides but no nasal polyps, which does not warrant a compensable rating. The Veteran's PTSD resulted in moderate to severe occupational and social impairment with symptoms such as depression, paranoia, irritability, anger, suspiciousness, and sleep impairment.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not meet the criteria for higher ratings based on the severity of the conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Allergic Rhinitis, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 16, 2019
- Citation
- 19137843
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,050 · Granted: 32% (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 19137843.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
- Denied
The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50% since March 23, 2004. The Board found that a higher rating is not warranted prior to February 15, 2005 due to the severity of his symptoms and their impact on his social and occupational functioning.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and any acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current mental health conditions and his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 70% disability rating. The Veteran also met the criteria for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
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