The Board has determined that the evidence submitted since the April 1999 rating decision is not new and material, thus denying the veteran's request to reopen his claim of entitlement to service connection for a psychiatric disorder.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not provide a clear link between the current psychiatric disability and the in-service diagnoses or conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Personality Disorder, Substance Abuse
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- December 18, 2003
- Citation
- 0335731
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0335731.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date and increased rating for other specified trauma-related disorder was denied. The Board found that the May 1974 denial of service connection for a personality disorder did not address a reasonable raised claim for depression, which is related to the same period.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 50 percent for acquired psychiatric disorder with major depressive disorder from October 27, 2021 is dismissed. The issue of service connection for substance abuse and entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for the period prior to October 27, 2021 are remanded.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's claim for PTSD has been granted, and the claims for personality disorder and panic/anxiety disorder have been remanded due to new evidence.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for PTSD, including substance abuse and depression, was denied as the effective date of June 6, 2023, is considered the earliest possible effective date given his intent to file on that day.
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