The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of PTSD, finding that the evidence did not establish a diagnosis of PTSD as of April 11, 1980, which is when PTSD was added to the rating schedule. The veteran's claim must be denied due to lack of legal merit.
The deciding factor: The addition of PTSD to the rating schedule in 1980 does not authorize a retroactive award for every grant of service connection for PTSD unless the evidence established that the veteran developed PTSD as of April 11, 1980 and that the disability continued up to the date that the claim was filed or September 2000.
- Claimed conditions
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 16, 2004
- Citation
- 0401678
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 0401678.
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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