The Board denied the veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for service connection of PTSD and a higher initial rating prior to February 1, 1996. The effective date for service connection was set at April 17, 1990, and the initial rating assigned is 70 percent.
The deciding factor: The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for PTSD was denied as the earliest application to reopen a final denial of the claim occurred on August 24, 1990. The Board found that the effective date should be set at the date of receipt of the application (August 24, 1990), which is later than the date entitlement arose (April 17, 1990).
- Claimed conditions
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- May 15, 2002
- Citation
- 0204556
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 0204556.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to December 27, 2019 for the grant of service connection for PTSD was denied as there is no earlier claim document in the claims file and the Veteran did not timely perfect an appeal.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD is granted as a result of military sexual trauma (MST) that occurred during service. The Board found the Veteran's testimony and supporting evidence credible, including her VA and private treatment records.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for TDIU is granted with an effective date of August 17, 2022. The decision also denies the Veteran's request for Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) due to lack of need for aid and attendance or being housebound.
- Granted
The Board has granted eligibility to attorney fees based on past-due benefits awarded in the October 2024 rating decision for an increased PTSD rating and denied TDIU.
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