The veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and left eye blindness are denied, as the stressors claimed do not meet legal requirements due to his dishonorable discharge. The claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for left ear hearing loss is also denied.
The deciding factor: Service connection for PTSD cannot be granted because the veteran's character of service was other than honorable and he did not die in service, making him ineligible for benefits based on his second period of active duty. The veteran's left eye blindness is found to be unrelated to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), left eye blindness
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 9, 2002
- Citation
- 0203202
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 0203202.
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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