The Board granted service connection for PTSD due to personal trauma, denied an increased rating for tinnitus, and denied service connection for bipolar disorder, hemorrhoids, lower back pain, and left knee pain.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's current diagnosis of PTSD is causally related to the in-service stressor of being forcibly strip searched at Fort Riley in the presence of other Army personnel. The criteria for a disability rating higher than 10 percent for tinnitus are not met, as it is the maximum schedular rating authorized under Diagnostic Code 6260 for tinnitus.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, bipolar disorder, PTSD due to personal trauma, hemorrhoids, lower back pain, left knee pain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- December 2, 2025
- Citation
- A25103448
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,990 · Granted: 35% (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 A25103448.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder and PTSD. The Veteran will be asked to provide additional medical records and undergo a VA examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of foot disability and cardiovascular disorder are remanded for additional development.
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