The Veteran's claims for service connection related to TBI, cervical spine disorder, right leg disorder, left knee disorder, right thumb disorder, left thumb disorder, deviated septum with post-surgery complications, sleep disorder, and right knee disorder have been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. However, his claims remain denied as there is no legal basis for an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's claim for service connection related to TBI has been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence; however, he does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic code.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral tinnitus, TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury), cervical spine disorder, right leg disorder, left knee disorder, right thumb disorder, left thumb disorder, deviated septum with post-surgery complications, sleep disorder, right knee disorder, right shoulder disorder
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 26, 2019
- Citation
- 19175123
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 19175123.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and providing proper notice regarding secondary service connection.
- Partly granted
The Board has not made a final determination on the claims of service connection for inguinal hernia, PTSD, joint pain, fibromyalgia, left knee disability, right knee disability, tinnitus, chronic fatigue syndrome, respiratory disability, sleep disorder, IBS, and headaches. The claims are remanded to obtain additional evidence and determine if these conditions are related to service.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD was granted with an initial evaluation of 50 percent, effective September 24, 2007. The appeal regarding the heart condition and sleep disorder is denied. The Veteran's hearing loss prior to August 24, 2015, warrants a 20 percent rating.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the AOJ did not obtain all necessary opinions regarding whether the Veteran's symptoms are related to an undiagnosed illness or medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness (MUCMI). The claims for service connection for fatigue, fibromyalgia, left elbow disorder, right elbow disorder, and sleep disorder are remanded for further development.
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