The Board granted a 20 percent rating for lumbar spondylosis and service connection for tinnitus, while denying increased ratings for PTSD and bilateral plantar fasciitis, and denying service connections for other conditions.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's symptoms of PTSD did not meet the criteria for a higher rating, and his tinnitus was related to in-service noise exposure. Other claims were denied due to insufficient evidence of current disabilities or etiology.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Bilateral plantar fasciitis, Lumbar spondylosis, Tinnitus, Bilateral hearing loss disability, Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), Left restless leg syndrome, Right restless leg syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- November 14, 2025
- Citation
- A25099068
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 913 · Granted: 41% (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 A25099068.
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 service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a higher rating for PTSD and dismissed his appeals regarding increased ratings for tinnitus and a right hand disability due to lack of timely filing of Notice of Disagreement.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including GAD, MDD, bruxism, migraines/headaches, tinnitus, hip pain, iliotibial band syndrome, and leg stress fractures. The evidence does not support current diagnoses of these conditions during the appeal period.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) at the (o) rate and SMC at the (r)(2) rate, effective January 19, 2025. The decision finds that the Veteran's service-connected conditions warrant these awards due to his need for aid and attendance.
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