The Board found that the appellant's claim for service connection for depression secondary to a left knee disability is not well-grounded due to lack of competent evidence linking the current psychiatric symptomatology to the service-connected disability. The claim for service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder was granted based on credible supporting evidence of the claimed in-service stressors.
The deciding factor: The appellant submitted competent medical evidence of a current diagnosis of PTSD and credible supporting evidence of the claimed in-service stressors, which were used as the foundation of the diagnoses. The Board found that the appellant's claim for service connection for depression secondary to a left knee disability was not well-grounded due to lack of competent evidence linking the current psychiatric symptomatology to the service-connected disability.
- Claimed conditions
- depression, post-traumatic_stress_disorder
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 17, 2000
- Citation
- 0021852
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0021852.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
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 case for additional development, including obtaining in-service psychiatric treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any acquired psychiatric disorder.
- Denied
The Veteran's depression was rated at 50 percent prior to July 1, 2016. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating due to occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity. For TDIU, the Veteran had multiple service-connected disabilities but his education and work experience were sufficient for sedentary or light labor employment.
- Granted
The Veteran's depression was rated at 50 percent prior to September 27, 2017. From September 27, 2017, the rating for depression increased to 70 percent.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals were dismissed due to the death of the appellant. The issues related to service connection for various conditions and disability ratings.
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