The Board denied the appellant's claim as he was not permanently incapable of self-support prior to reaching the age of 18, and therefore could not be recognized as a helpless child of his veteran father.
The deciding factor: The appellant turned 18 years old in December [redacted], 2005. The doctors' statements indicated that his permanent incapacity for self-support arose following his 1988 motor vehicle accident, and there was no evidence of pre-existing disabilities prior to this time.
- Claimed conditions
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Major Recurrent Depressive Disorder, Recurrent Syncope Attacks, Muscle Spasms, Migraine Headaches
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 21, 2001
- Citation
- 0126650
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 0126650.
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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