The veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, bipolar disorder, and various skin conditions are denied as there is no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
The deciding factor: There is no current diagnosis of PTSD or bipolar disorder in the record. The VA examination did not find any signs or symptoms consistent with PTSD. There is also no competent medical opinion indicating that the veteran's current bipolar disorder is related to his period of active service.
- Claimed conditions
- Bipolar Disorder, Disability Manifested by Slow Healing Wounds, including as secondary to herbicide exposure, Hair Loss, including as secondary to herbicide exposure, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Skin Condition, including as secondary to herbicide exposure, Tingling/Numbness of the Arms and Feet, including as secondary to herbicide exposure, Tumor/Cyst, including as secondary to herbicide exposure
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 13, 2004
- Citation
- 0418537
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 680 · Granted: 24% (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 0418537.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to December 27, 2019 for the grant of service connection for PTSD was denied as there is no earlier claim document in the claims file and the Veteran did not timely perfect an appeal.
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The Veteran's PTSD is granted as a result of military sexual trauma (MST) that occurred during service. The Board found the Veteran's testimony and supporting evidence credible, including her VA and private treatment records.
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The Veteran's claim for TDIU is granted with an effective date of August 17, 2022. The decision also denies the Veteran's request for Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) due to lack of need for aid and attendance or being housebound.
- Granted
The Board has granted eligibility to attorney fees based on past-due benefits awarded in the October 2024 rating decision for an increased PTSD rating and denied TDIU.
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