The Veteran's claim for an increased rating of 10 percent for bilateral tinnitus was granted, while the claim for a higher rating for his acquired psychiatric disorder was denied. The claims for service connection for left and right lower extremity radicular pain and knee pain were remanded.
The deciding factor: The evidence supported a 10 percent rating for tinnitus but not a higher rating for the psychiatric disorder, as it did not meet the criteria for a 70 percent or greater rating. The claims for service connection were remanded due to the Veteran's inability to obtain necessary examinations in his home country.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired psychiatric disorder (specific type not specified), Bilateral tinnitus, Left knee pain, Left lower extremity radicular pain, Right knee pain, Right lower extremity radicular pain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- November 6, 2025
- Citation
- A25096792
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 719 · Granted: 54% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 A25096792.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected acquired psychiatric disability, ischemic cardiomyopathy, and other disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation since December 29, 2020. Effective from that date, the Veteran is granted TDIU and SMC housebound.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee pain and right hip pain due to insufficient medical evidence on file regarding their etiology. The AOJ is required to obtain an adequate opinion from a qualified medical examiner.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral tinnitus, finding that his in-service exposure to hazardous noise caused his current condition.
- Granted
The Board has granted an earlier effective date of July 26, 2017 for the award of TDIU due to service-connected psychiatric disability and an earlier effective date of November 9, 2018 for the award of SMC under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s).
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