The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was granted. The claims to reopen for chronic fatigue and depression/anxiety with alcohol use were also granted, but the Veteran is still awaiting a VA examination to determine if her current symptoms are related to her military service. Her secondary service connection claim for alcohol abuse with depression and anxiety as secondary to PTSD remains pending. Additionally, her claim for an increased rating for lumbar strain with degenerative changes was remanded.
The deciding factor: The evidence is at least in equipoise regarding the Veteran's tinnitus, chronic fatigue, and depression/anxiety with alcohol use claims, warranting reopening of these claims. The Veteran has not been afforded a VA examination to determine if her current symptoms are related to her military service for the chronic fatigue and anxiety/depression claims.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, chronic fatigue, depression/anxiety with alcohol use
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 11, 2019
- Citation
- 19144825
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,810 · 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 19144825.
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.
- 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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