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.
- 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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