The Veteran's appeal for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied.,The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating higher than 50 percent for PTSD is denied.,An effective date of March 26, 2011, for the assignment of a 50 percent rating for headaches is granted.,An initial rating of 100 percent for service-connected peripheral artery disease is granted.,An earlier effective date of June 10, 2011, for Dependents' Educational Assistance is granted.,An award of special monthly compensation (SMC) under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s) effective June 10, 2011, is granted.,Earlier effective dates are remanded for service connection claims related to scars and tissue loss in the lower extremities.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's bilateral hearing impairment does not meet or approximate the criteria for a compensable rating under VA regulations. The average pure tone thresholds do not exceed 20 decibels in either ear, which corresponds to Level I on Table VI of the Rating Schedule.,PTSD results in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity as evidenced by flattened affect, difficulty understanding complex commands, and impaired judgment. However, this does not meet or approximate the criteria for a 70 percent rating under Diagnostic Code 9434.,The Veteran's headaches are characterized by very frequent completely prostrating and prolonged attacks productive of severe economic inadaptability. He is already receiving the maximum schedular evaluation for his headaches.,Peripheral artery disease results in ischemic limb pain at rest with an ankle-brachial index (ABI) of 0.4 or less, meeting the criteria for a 100 percent rating under Diagnostic Code 7114.,Effective Dependents' Educational Assistance is granted as of June 10, 2011, based on the Veteran's permanent total service-connected disability status and additional service-connected disabilities rated at 60 percent or more.,SMC under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s) effective June 10, 2011, is granted due to the Veteran's permanent total service-connected disability status.,Earlier effective dates are remanded as new evidence was not considered in the March 2019 rating decision.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 4, 2024
- Citation
- A24028754
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 A24028754.
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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.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 70% disability rating. The Veteran also met the criteria for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
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