The Board granted service connection for right ear hearing loss and a lumbar spine disability, while dismissing the appeals to reopen claims for TBI residuals, right wrist disorder, and right thumb disorder. The claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder was reopened and granted as secondary to a service-connected disability.
The deciding factor: The evidence presented raised a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claims for the acquired psychiatric disorder and right ear hearing loss, leading to their reopening and grant. For the lumbar spine and left ankle disabilities, the ratings were assigned based on the severity of the conditions as shown by the medical evidence.
- Claimed conditions
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) residuals, Right wrist disorder, Right thumb disorder, Acquired psychiatric disorder, Right ear hearing loss, Lumbar spine disability, Left ankle disability
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 10, 2023
- Citation
- 23001334
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for chronic headaches, CFS, dermatosis, bilateral RLS, a lumbar spine disability, and sleep apnea but denied a compensable evaluation for allergic rhinitis.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 20 percent rating for the Veteran's left knee strain, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and service connection for a right ankle disorder. Other claims were denied or remanded.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding a causal relationship between the condition and an in-service incident of military sexual trauma (MST).
- Denied
The appeal for higher ratings and effective dates for various conditions was denied, with the exception of left and right lower extremity radiculopathy which were granted an earlier effective date.
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