The Board granted a 100 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI), but denied service connection for a right ankle disability, an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, a compensable rating for renal insufficiency as a residual of rhabdomyolysis, and other claims.

The deciding factor: The Veteran's psychiatric disability resulted in total occupational and social impairment, warranting the highest schedular rating. The right ankle disability was not related to service or shown within one year post-service, thus denied. Other claims were also denied based on lack of evidence supporting a compensable rating.

Claimed conditions

right ankle disability, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI), bilateral hearing loss, migraines including migraine variants, renal insufficiency as a residual of rhabdomyolysis, painful scars residuals of lipoma removal, right upper back, scar, residuals of lipoma removal right upper back, posterior trunk, scar, posterior hand status post hand surgery, right upper extremity, respiratory disability, to include bronchiolitis, bronchitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), rhinitis, sinusitis, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), flexion deformity of ring finger, right hand (right ring finger disability), healed boxer fracture of the left hand with residual pain, ring finger (left ring finger disability)

How they argued it

Direct service connection

Exposure basis

None

Rating assigned

100%

Decision date

December 15, 2025

Citation

A25108069

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