The Board granted service connection for tinnitus, a right knee disability, and a low back disability but denied the claims for an earlier effective date for hypertension and distal lateral surgical scar of the right long finger, depression, bilateral hearing loss, and a right elbow disability. The Veteran was also granted an initial 10 percent rating for hypertension.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the evidence did not support service connection for depression, bilateral hearing loss, or a right elbow disability, but supported it for tinnitus, a right knee disability, and a low back disability based on in-service noise exposure and ongoing symptoms. The effective date was set to the date of receipt of the claim.
- Claimed conditions
- hypertension, distal lateral surgical scar of the right long finger, depression, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, right knee disability, low back disability, right elbow disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- December 9, 2025
- Citation
- A25106005
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