The veteran's post-traumatic stress disorder is currently evaluated at 30 percent, and the other service-connected disabilities are all rated at noncompensable (10%). The appeal for higher initial ratings remains denied.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not support a finding of more than the current evaluations for any of the service-connected conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 5, 2003
- Citation
- 0311653
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,055 · Granted: 31% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 0311653.
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 Board found that the Veteran's service-connected post-traumatic stress disorder did not cause or contribute to his death. The medical evidence does not support a causal relationship between the Veteran's PTSD and his coronary artery disease, hypertension, or other conditions leading to his death.
- Denied
The VA denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his post-traumatic stress disorder and bilateral hearing loss, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable disability evaluation criteria.
- Denied
The Board found that the veteran did not engage in combat with the enemy and does not have a corroborated in-service stressor upon which a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder may be predicated. As such, service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder was denied.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the veteran currently meets the criteria for service connection of post-traumatic stress disorder, as there is a confirmed diagnosis and credible supporting evidence linking current symptoms to in-service stressors.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.