The Board denied the veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for PTSD with major depression, service connection for somatic dysfunction of the thoracic and lumbar spines and bilateral sacroiliac joints, and gastroesophageal reflux.
The deciding factor: The claim was not well-grounded as there was no evidence showing that the veteran had a mental disorder prior to January 21, 1997, which is when her initial claim for service connection was received. The effective date of service connection cannot be earlier than the date of receipt of the claim.
- Claimed conditions
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Somatic dysfunction of the full thoracic and lumbar spines, Bilateral sacroiliac joints, Gastroesophageal reflux
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 2, 2000
- Citation
- 0020295
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 0020295.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's PTSD was granted a 70 percent rating prior to March 7, 2022, while other claims were denied.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD and GAD, as well as tinnitus.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, as it needs a medical opinion addressing the nature and etiology of the condition prior to October 16, 2023.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities.
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