The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for various service-connected conditions, but granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder does not result in total occupational and social impairment, and his other service-connected conditions do not meet the criteria for higher ratings.
- Claimed conditions
- posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and unspecified depressive disorder, lumbar spine disability, migraine headaches, hypertension, tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, hemorrhoids, left varicocele, scars, right cheek and forehead, vitreous opacities
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 20, 2025
- Citation
- A25045298
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.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of October 21, 2021, for the grant of service connection for hypertension.
- Granted
The Veteran's migraine headaches were granted a 50 percent disability rating, effective August 8, 2023, due to very frequent completely prostrating and prolonged attacks that are productive of severe economic inadaptability.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including prostate cancer and related disabilities, urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, hypertension, varicose veins, lumbar spine disability, hip arthritis, shoulder arthritis, ankle arthritis, knee strain, knee replacement, and hand arthritis. The only condition granted was a 10 percent rating for a fracture of the right proximal first metacarpal.
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