The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of March 24, 1999 for a total disability evaluation based on individual unemployability due to his service-connected disabilities. The evidence did not show that he was unemployable prior to this date.
The deciding factor: There is no medical evidence showing the veteran was unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities before March 24, 1999.
- Claimed conditions
- post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), post-operative lumbar laminectomy, old fracture of the proximal phalanx of the right little finger
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- March 4, 2002
- Citation
- 0203985
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 0203985.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include unspecified depressive disorder with social anxiety disorder and PTSD, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for PTSD to be readjudicated on the merits due to new and relevant evidence.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea and an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to or caused by the Veteran's military service.
- Partly granted
The veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions were denied, except for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss disability which were granted. The veteran was also granted service connection for hypertension.
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