The Board dismissed the appeal for a compensable disability rating for hemorrhoids. The Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and hammertoes was reopened, but the issues of entitlement to increased ratings for PTSD are remanded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran requested to withdraw his appeal for a compensable disability rating for hemorrhoids at the March 2019 Board hearing. The Board found new and material evidence sufficient to reopen claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and hammertoes, but remanded for further examination regarding PTSD.
- Claimed conditions
- Hemorrhoids, Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Hammertoes, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- August 6, 2019
- Citation
- 19160782
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 880 · Granted: 26% (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 19160782.
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
What you can do next
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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