The Board granted a 70 percent rating for PTSD and an initial 10 percent rating for a headache disability, while denying ratings in excess of 40 percent for a low back disability and any compensable rating for allergic rhinitis. Service connection was granted for tinnitus and bilateral foot disabilities but denied for other conditions.

The deciding factor: The Veteran's symptoms most closely aligned with the criteria for a 70 percent rating for PTSD due to occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, while his headache symptoms warranted an initial 10 percent rating as they approximated prostrating attacks averaging one in two months over the previous several months.

Claimed conditions

PTSD, headache disability, low back disability, allergic rhinitis, tinnitus, bilateral foot disability, bilateral shoulder disability, respiratory disability, other than allergic rhinitis, heart disability, kidney disability, liver disability

How they argued it

Direct service connection

Exposure basis

None

Rating assigned

70%

Decision date

November 24, 2025

Citation

A25101949

Want to see how appeals like this one tend to go? Appeals like mine