The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a psychiatric disability, headaches due to head trauma, and a chipped tooth due to dental trauma as there was no evidence of an acquired psychiatric disorder, chronic headache disorder, or dental condition resulting from combat wounds or other trauma during active military service.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not show the presence of PTSD, a chronic headache disorder, or a dental condition that could be linked to the veteran's period of service. The Veteran's initial psychiatric diagnosis after discharge was not until approximately 29 years later, and there was no evidence of an etiological relationship between his currently diagnosed psychoses and his period of service.
- Claimed conditions
- PTSD, anxiety disorder, nervous disorder, headaches due to head trauma, chipped tooth due to dental trauma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 19, 2009
- Citation
- 0906043
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder to ensure a proper examination and etiology opinion are provided.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for PTSD, generalized anxiety disorder, and somatic symptom disorder, as well as presumptive service connection for basal cell carcinoma under the PACT Act. Service connection was denied for chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, right restless leg syndrome, left restless leg syndrome, an increased rating for psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, a left forehead surgical scar, and allergic rhinitis.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, as the Veteran did not have a diagnosis of PTSD or any other psychiatric disorder during the appeal period.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple conditions, including an acquired psychiatric disorder, sleep apnea, hypertension, and various musculoskeletal and skin disabilities.
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