The Board denied the Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and remanded several issues, including those related to cardiomyopathy, valvular heart disease, GERD, and tinnitus. The Veteran was granted a total rating based upon individual unemployability from January 10, 2020.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the evidence did not support higher ratings for the claimed conditions or earlier effective dates for service connection, except for granting TDIU from January 10, 2020.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), cardiomyopathy, valvular heart disease, congestive heart failure without preserved ejection fraction, and patent foramen ovale, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 8, 2024
- Citation
- A24064085
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 withdrew his appeals for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and pernicious anemia, and the Board dismissed both appeals.
- Partly granted
The Veteran was granted a 70 percent initial disability rating for PTSD effective December 2, 2021, but the claim for an increased rating in excess of 70 percent was denied. The appeal also included claims for service connection and ratings for various conditions, some of which were granted while others were remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for tinnitus to correct a duty to assist error, as the Veteran's lay statements regarding onset and continuity of symptoms were not adequately considered in the previous decision.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
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