The petition to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, Gulf War Syndrome (to include psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and unexplained aches and pains), PTSD, and an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD is denied.,The petition to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for PTSD and an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD is granted.
The deciding factor: There was no accepted evidence of a nexus between the Veteran’s in-service noise exposure and his bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, or between his Gulf War Syndrome and his active service. The preponderance of the evidence is against finding that sleep disturbances due to Gulf War Undiagnosed Illness began during active service or are otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease.,The Veteran has not submitted any evidence since the November 2009 rating decision that establishes a nexus between his acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD and his active service. The VA examiner opined that the Veteran’s unspecified anxiety disorder was less likely than not the result of an in-service stressor-related event.
- Claimed conditions
- Hearing loss, Tinnitus, Gulf War Syndrome (to include psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and unexplained aches and pains), Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 21, 2019
- Citation
- 19187553
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,156 · Granted: 29% (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 19187553.
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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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
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