The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date than April 20, 1999, for the grant of service connection for PTSD with dysthymic disorder. The earliest possible effective date is April 20, 1999.
The deciding factor: The RO interpreted the veteran's untimely appeal received on April 20, 1999, as her claim to reopen her service connection claim for PTSD. As such, the earliest possible effective date for service connection for PTSD is April 20, 1999.
- Claimed conditions
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) with dysthymic disorder
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 2, 2003
- Citation
- 0314501
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 0314501.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and providing opinions regarding the service connection of sleep apnea and narcolepsy. The TDIU claim will also be deferred until these issues are addressed.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD with dysthymic disorder is rated at 70 percent for the entire appeal period, reflecting significant occupational and social impairment.
- Granted
The Board found that the Veteran's PTSD with dysthymic disorder warranted a 70 percent disability rating, which was granted in April 2011.
- Denied
The Veteran's PTSD with dysthymic disorder is rated at 30 percent, the minimum rating available under the General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders. The evidence shows mild to moderate symptoms that do not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating.
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