The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and psychiatric disability other than PTSD, as well as his increased rating claim for CTS of the right wrist, were denied. The Veteran's trigger thumb was found to be essentially asymptomatic.
The deciding factor: There is no competent medical evidence or opinion linking any diagnosed psychiatric disability (other than PTSD) to service, and the Veteran's current psychiatric symptoms are not related to his childhood trauma as suggested by a prior VA examination.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Psychiatric disability other than PTSD, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) of the right wrist, Right thumb disability (trigger thumb)
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 1, 2009
- Citation
- 0937474
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 0937474.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
- Denied
The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50% since March 23, 2004. The Board found that a higher rating is not warranted prior to February 15, 2005 due to the severity of his symptoms and their impact on his social and occupational functioning.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and any acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current mental health conditions and his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 70% disability rating. The Veteran also met the criteria for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
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