The Board denied the veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD in May 1984. The veteran did not seek to reopen his claim until October 23, 1997, when he submitted a VA Form 21-526 application for compensation or pension. In April 1998, the regional office granted service connection for PTSD and made the grant effective from October 23, 1997. The Board found that the effective date could not be earlier than October 23, 1997, as the veteran did not meet all eligibility criteria on the effective date of the addition of Diagnostic Code 9411 (PTSD).
The deciding factor: The veteran's claim was denied in May 1984. He did not seek to reopen his claim until October 23, 1997, when he submitted a VA Form 21-526 application for compensation or pension. In April 1998, the regional office granted service connection for PTSD and made the grant effective from October 23, 1997. The Board found that the effective date could not be earlier than October 23, 1997, as the veteran did not meet all eligibility criteria on the effective date of the addition of Diagnostic Code 9411 (PTSD).
- Claimed conditions
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 31, 2000
- Citation
- 0023272
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 0023272.
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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