The Veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection for a low back disorder was denied as new and material evidence had not been submitted.,Service connection for a bilateral eye disorder is denied due to lack of in-service diagnosis or treatment, and no current evidence linking the condition to service.,High cholesterol is considered a laboratory finding and not a ratable disability for VA compensation purposes.,For the period prior to August 14, 2014, the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder meets criteria for a rating of 70 percent but no higher.,Service connection for sleep apnea was remanded due to insufficient evidence.,Service connection for a skin disability other than PFB (likely PFB) is remanded as there are no current findings or diagnoses supporting this claim.,Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) was remanded.
The deciding factor: The July 1992 rating decision denying service connection for a low back disorder is final, and new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen the claim.,There is no in-service diagnosis or treatment record linking the Veteran's current bilateral eye disorders to his military service. The condition may be related to non-service-related factors such as exposure to environmental irritants.,High cholesterol is a laboratory finding and not a ratable disability for VA compensation purposes.,The acquired psychiatric disorder meets criteria for a rating of 70 percent but no higher, based on current symptoms and occupational/social impairment.,There is insufficient evidence linking the Veteran's sleep apnea to his military service.,Service connection for a skin disability other than PFB (likely PFB) cannot be established as there are no current findings or diagnoses supporting this claim.,The criteria for TDIU were not met due to insufficient evidence.
- Claimed conditions
- Low back disorder, Bilateral eye disorder, High cholesterol, Acquired psychiatric disorder (likely PTSD or another anxiety/depression-related condition), Pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB), Hypertension, Skin disability other than PFB
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 1, 2019
- Citation
- 19159929
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 19159929.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
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Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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The Board granted readjudication of previously denied claims for service connection for PTSD and COPD, while remanding other issues including entitlement to service connection for an eye disorder, hypertension, tinnitus, a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, TDIU, and an initial rating for PTSD.
- Denied
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- Denied
The appeal for higher ratings and effective dates for various conditions was denied, with the exception of left and right lower extremity radiculopathy which were granted an earlier effective date.
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