The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is dismissed as the appellant withdrew his appeal.,Service connection for a back disorder was reopened due to new evidence received since the May 2013 rating decision. The claim of service connection for thoracolumbar disc space narrowing with degeneration and spondylosis and right knee residuals of remote partial thickness tear of the right ACL fibular collateral ligament sprain is granted.,Service connection for headaches is granted as the evidence is in approximate balance regarding whether the Veteran has a disability caused by his PTSD.,Service connection for TBI residuals is denied due to lack of competent and credible evidence showing causation.,A 30 percent rating for GERD since February 1, 2018 is granted.
The deciding factor: The Veteran withdrew his appeal as to bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus at the February 2022 Board hearing.,New evidence received since May 2013 supports a finding that thoracolumbar disc space narrowing with degeneration and spondylosis is related to service, while right knee residuals are related to an in-service injury.,The Veteran's headaches are found to be secondary to PTSD, as supported by the February 2021 VA examiner’s opinion.,There is no competent evidence showing a direct relationship between TBI and current symptoms.,The March 2022 private physician's opinion supports the grant of service connection for GERD.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, Back Disorder (Thoracolumbar Disc Space Narrowing with Degeneration and Spondylosis), Right Knee Residuals of Remote Partial Thickness Tear of the Right ACL Fibular Collateral Ligament Sprain, Headaches, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Residuals, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- August 2, 2022
- Citation
- 22043794
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 22043794.
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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