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Denied

The veteran's PTSD is currently manifested by symptoms such as nightmares, panic attacks, difficulty with memory and concentration, nervousness, irritability, limited social contact, the need for continuous medication including sleep aids, and Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scores ranging from 60 to 80. The RO determined that his July 2003 substantive appeal was not timely filed following a September 1999 denial of service connection for PTSD.

The deciding factor: The veteran's July 2003 substantive appeal was not timely as it did not meet the statutory time frame for filing an appeal after receiving the November 1999 SOC, which would have advised him of his right to file a timely appeal and provided the form used for such appeals.

Claimed conditions
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating assigned
30%
Decision date
January 7, 2006
Citation
0600423

Veterans Law Judge

BARBARA B. COPELAND

Decisions by this judge: 1,515 · Granted: 20% (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 0600423.

What this means for you

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