The Veteran's PTSD has been manifested by symptoms that include depression, depressed mood and affect, anxiety with occasional anxiety attacks, anger, irritability, difficulty concentrating, sleep impairment, nightmares, avoidant behavior, startle response, intrusive thoughts, suspiciousness, and hypervigilance. However, the evidence does not support an initial rating in excess of 50 percent.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's symptoms have resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, but they do not meet the criteria for a higher rating as his condition has not produced deficiencies in most areas or total occupational and social impairment.
- Claimed conditions
- post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 9, 2009
- Citation
- 0908593
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 PTSD to be readjudicated on the merits due to new and relevant evidence.
- Partly granted
The veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions were denied, except for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss disability which were granted. The veteran was also granted service connection for hypertension.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an evaluation in excess of 70 percent disabling for service-connected PTSD due to duty-to-assist errors.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for right hip bursitis, left knee strain, TBI, and PTSD.
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