The Board granted an initial 70 percent rating for PTSD with TBI, a 20 percent rating effective July 13, 2023 for degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine and thoracic disc degeneration, and a separate 10 percent rating effective July 13, 2023 for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity. The Board denied higher ratings for cervical spine conditions, bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy, and other conditions including hearing loss, fractured finger, and deviated nasal septum, while remanding two issues for further consideration.
The deciding factor: The Board determined ratings based on the Schedule for Rating Disabilities by evaluating the severity of symptoms against applicable diagnostic criteria, considering range of motion limitations, neurological impairment, and applying the benefit of the doubt where evidence was in equipoise.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with traumatic brain injury (TBI), Cervical spine disc degeneration with intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS), Radiculopathy of the left upper extremity (LUE), Radiculopathy of the right upper extremity (RUE), Degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine and thoracic disc degeneration, Radiculopathy of the right lower extremity (RLE), Fractured right little finger, Bilateral hearing loss, Traumatic deviated nasal septum
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- November 13, 2025
- Citation
- A25098631
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, as there was no evidence of a current disability in the right ear and insufficient evidence to establish a nexus between the left ear hearing loss and service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter for a medical clarification regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected epilepsy has aggravated his bilateral hearing loss.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss to obtain an addendum opinion addressing the Veteran's lay statements regarding in-service acoustic trauma and a rocket blast injury.
- 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.
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