The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied, and his claim for an earlier effective date for the award of a 30 percent disability rating for generalized anxiety disorder is dismissed. The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder (formerly diagnosed as psychogenic skin reaction) has been granted increased ratings: 50% prior to June 11, 2018, and greater than 50% from that date.
The deciding factor: The effective dates were not established due to the lack of new evidence within one year of the April 2003 rating decision for the award of a 30 percent disability rating for generalized anxiety disorder. The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date was dismissed as it is not allowed in cases where service connection has already been granted.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, generalized anxiety disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- December 23, 2019
- Citation
- 19196108
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 19196108.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Remanded (sent back)
The appeal is remanded to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors, including the failure to obtain relevant treatment records and provide adequate VA examinations.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Partly granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted, while fibromyalgia, internal or external hemorrhoids, bilateral hearing loss, and neuropathy are denied.
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