The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as unspecified anxiety disorder, unspecified depressive disorder, and alcohol use disorder with chronic sleep impairment is granted as secondary to his service-connected tinnitus.
The deciding factor: The July 2018 VA examiner found that the Veteran's psychiatric disorder is at least as likely as not proximately due to or the result of the Veteran's service-connected condition. The examiner rationalized that constant ringing in the Veteran's ears has been service-connected, and tinnitus causes anxiety and depression.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as unspecified anxiety disorder, unspecified depressive disorder, and alcohol use disorder with chronic sleep impairment, Hypertension, Migraines, Vertigo, Left knee disorder, Right ankle disorder, Right foot disorder, Left foot disorder, Right leg, varicose veins, Left wrist disorder
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 26, 2024
- Citation
- 24004208
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.
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- 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and hypertension, to include as secondary to left orchiectomy, for further development in accordance with the PACT Act.
- Granted
The Board granted a 70 percent rating for the Veteran's unspecified depressive disorder, finding that her symptoms more closely approximated those required for such a rating.
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