The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a combined rating of 100 percent for his service-connected disabilities from June 18, 2014, to August 23, 2021.
The deciding factor: The regulations do not allow for the Veteran's ratings to be combined in a manner that would result in a total rating higher than 90 percent.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Sleep apnea with asthma, Right hand carpal tunnel syndrome, Left hand carpal tunnel syndrome, Left shoulder tendonitis, Right shoulder tendonitis, Tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 90%
- Decision date
- June 24, 2025
- Citation
- A25054530
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 service connection for PTSD, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor and finding that his PTSD is related to an in-service military sexual trauma (MST) during a period of ACDUTRA.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of May 17, 2019, for a 70 percent disability rating for PTSD but denied earlier effective dates for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.
- Partly granted
The Board granted readjudication of previously denied claims for service connection for PTSD and COPD, while remanding other issues including entitlement to service connection for an eye disorder, hypertension, tinnitus, a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, TDIU, and an initial rating for PTSD.
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