The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for pseudofolliculitis barbae and remanded claims for service connection for bilateral tinnitus, a low back disability, generalized anxiety disorder, and left lower extremity radiculopathy.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support that the Veteran's pseudofolliculitis barbae met or more nearly approximated the criteria for a compensable rating. The Board found that remand was necessary to correct duty-to-assist errors in the claims for service connection for bilateral tinnitus, low back disability, generalized anxiety disorder, and left lower extremity radiculopathy.
- Claimed conditions
- Pseudofolliculitis barbae, Bilateral tinnitus, Low back disability (degenerative disc disease), Generalized anxiety disorder (also claimed as persistent depressive disorder and nightmares), Left lower extremity radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 14, 2025
- Citation
- A25043249
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.
- Partly granted
The Veteran was granted an effective date of July 31, 2012, for TDIU and October 22, 2012, for service connection of left and right lower extremity radiculopathy.
- 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.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a heart disability, granted service connection for bilateral tinnitus and right knee osteochondritis dissecans, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear s/p ACL reconstruction, and denied an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder with generalized anxiety disorder.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, as the evidence did not show that his service-connected disabilities alone were of such nature and severity to preclude him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.
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