The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a higher combined disability rating, finding that the calculation of his combined rating was correct and that he did not meet the criteria for a higher combined rating.
The deciding factor: The VA used the Combined Ratings Table to calculate the Veteran's combined rating based on the severity of his service-connected disabilities. The calculations resulted in an 87 percent rating which, when converted to the nearest degree divisible by 10, is 90 percent. As the law requires that the calculation be done using the Combined Ratings Table, the Board did not have authority to calculate the Veteran's overall disability rating differently.
- Claimed conditions
- posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), history of pseudofolliculitis with tinea versicolor and myxomucoid rash, residuals of left hand injury with mild degenerative change of first metacarpophalangeal joint, left hand injury scar and scar right side of neck, residual of myxomucoid cyst excision, tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 90%
- Decision date
- August 12, 2022
- Citation
- 22045981
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 22045981.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder and PTSD. The Veteran will be asked to provide additional medical records and undergo a VA examination.
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