The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD rated at 50%, resulted in a combined rating of 90% from October 13, 2016 to October 13, 2017. The Board granted a TDIU rating for this period based on the severity and cumulative effect of his service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's PTSD alone rendered him unemployable due to occupational impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, as well as other service-connected disabilities that significantly impacted his ability to work.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Allergic Rhinosinusitis, Right Eye Maculopathy, Metamorphopsia, and Retinal Detachment, Lumbosacral Strain and Thoracic Spondylosis, Right Shoulder Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy with Adhesive Capsulitis, Left Shoulder Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy with Adhesive Capsulitis, Cervical Spinal Stenosis with Spondylosis, Left Ankle Strain, Right Ankle Strain, Bilateral Metatarsalgia, Tinnitus, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), Left Ulnar Neuropathy, Left Knee Patellofemoral Syndrome, Right Knee Patellofemoral Syndrome, Left Ear Hearing Loss, Hypertension, Intergluteal Cleft Scar, Migraine and Tension Headaches
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 90%
- Decision date
- December 21, 2020
- Citation
- 20080157
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,699 · Granted: 17% (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 20080157.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
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.
- 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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