The Veteran's appeal for service connection for cardiac diastolic dysfunction with mild left ventricular hypertrophy (claimed as ischemic heart disease) has been dismissed.,Multiple increased rating claims, including those for the right shoulder, upper thigh (extension), upper thigh (flexion), and upper thigh (abduction, adduction, and rotation) have been dismissed.,The Veteran's appeal for service connection for PTSD has been dismissed.,Claims for scars on the neck and arm have also been dismissed.,Multiple earlier effective date claims have been dismissed.,PTSD benefits were awarded effective March 30, 2015, but TDIU was not granted prior to this date.
The deciding factor: The Veteran withdrew his appeal for these issues during the September 2018 hearing and before a decision was made by the Board.,The Veteran's right thigh disability did not meet criteria for higher ratings as it only manifested in painful motion, with some limited abduction and adduction.,Right corneal shell fragment wound had corrected vision of 20/40 or better without incapacitating episodes.,PTSD was awarded effective March 30, 2015, but TDIU was not granted prior to this date due to the Veteran's other service-connected disabilities.,The earlier effective date claims were all denied as they did not meet VA criteria for an earlier effective date.,There was no clear and unmistakable error in the September 30, 1970 rating decision regarding tinnitus or PTSD.
- Claimed conditions
- cardiac diastolic dysfunction with mild left ventricular hypertrophy (claimed as ischemic heart disease)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 3, 2019
- Citation
- 19176022
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,011 · Granted: 24% (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 19176022.
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A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot.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.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected musculoligamentous strain, right knee, is currently rated at 10 percent and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.
- 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.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.