The veteran's stepson, JLS, was not found to be permanently incapable of self-support due to a mental or physical defect prior to turning 18 years old. The evidence shows that he received treatment for an acquired psychiatric disorder after reaching the age of 18.
The deciding factor: JLS did not meet the criteria for being recognized as a helpless child because his condition was diagnosed and treated after he turned 18, and there is no medical evidence showing permanent incapacity prior to this time.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired psychiatric disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 16, 2004
- Citation
- 0401790
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 0401790.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding a causal relationship between the condition and an in-service incident of military sexual trauma (MST).
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for varicose veins in the bilateral lower extremities and dismissed the appeal for an acquired psychiatric disorder due to untimely notice of disagreement. The lumbar spine disability claim was remanded for further development.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and remanded the claims for a right knee condition, left knee condition, and low back condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the issue of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
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