Can a secondary condition be rated higher than a primary condition?

[Okemos_Veteran74]

Can a secondary condition be rated higher than a primary condition?  For example, let's say someone had a traumatic brain injury that was rated at 40%. Could someone have PTSD secondary to TBI rated at 70%?

 

[doc25]

10 hours ago, Okemos_Veteran74 said:

Can a secondary condition be rated higher than a primary condition?  For example, let's say someone had a traumatic brain injury that was rated at 40%. Could someone have PTSD secondary to TBI rated at 70%?

 

Yes. And I'll give an example.

Service-Connected Tinnitus  is capped at 10% but over time it may get worse and it can cause Depression or Anxiety. Depending on the severity of the depression or anxiety any psychiatric disorder it can be rated 0%, 30%, 50%, 70%, or 100%.

The most I've seen is Depression 50% secondary to 10% Tinnitus. But, it all depends on the severity.

Each secondary disability gets a separate rating from the service-connected disability.

Here's a case where the veteran was granted Depression secondary to Tinnitus.

https://www.va.gov/vetapp15/Files2/1515376.txt

TBI and PTSD have a comorbidity relation to each other so, it really depends on your PTSD symptoms, how the psych doc diagnosis your PTSD using the DSM-5, and how a ratings scheduler interprets the evidence.

Here is a better explanation from a research study.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29017388

To secondary service connect any disability you MUST meet all criteria:

1. Current Service-Connected Disability

2. Current Disability that is secondary to a SC disability

3. Nexus of Opinion linking #1 and #2.

 

[Carl the Engineer]

Yes,

I was initially rated at 0% for high blood pressure, then later, 30% for heart disease secondary to my high blood pressure.

I was initially rated at 10% for right shoulder, then later, 20% for right elbow secondary to right shoulder.

Everything stands by itself, "once it is rated", then its by itself for increased etc., down the road.  My right shoulder was increased to 20% at a later date.

Now, with that said, I have no direct knowledge regards, TBI injuries and PTSD, whether they are in the same conditions that restrict pyramiding, or stand alone. 

I do know that you can be rated for Arthritis and Range of Motion for the same joint, but you will only get the higher number.  My right shoulder is 10% for Arthritis and 20% for ROM.  I only get the 20%.

Hope this helps,

Hamslice

 

[acesup]

Hamslice is correct.  I have several secondary conditions that rate higher than my 20% (recently reduced from 40% after surgery) lumbar spine.  The highest rating will be 60%, a couple of others are 50% each.