The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and an increased disability rating for his low back disability were denied. The low back disability was rated as 10 percent disabling, with separate ratings of 10 percent each for neurological manifestations affecting the right and left lower extremities.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the Veteran's lumbar spine disability did not meet or approximate criteria for a higher rating based on ankylosis or incapacitating episodes. The neurological manifestations were rated as mild incomplete paralysis of the sciatic nerve, warranting separate ratings for each affected lower extremity.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired Psychiatric Disorder (to include Posttraumatic Stress Disorder)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 18, 2009
- Citation
- 0923045
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 0923045.
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.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD. The evidence did not show current disabilities for VA purposes in either case.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, finding that her in-service stressor events were not valid for VA purposes and thus could not be etiologically related to those events. The Veteran was diagnosed with persistent depressive disorder, with anxious distress, during the appeal period.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for higher ratings for his bilateral hearing loss and remanded the service connection claims. The case is now pending again with additional development required.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD and therefore, service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder to include PTSD is denied.
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