The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD and her symptoms are better explained by other conditions such as alcohol dependency and borderline personality disorder. The in-service stressors were not corroborated, and there is no evidence to support the claimed service connection.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's reported stressors could not be verified due to lack of corroborating evidence from sources outside her records, and her current psychiatric symptoms are more consistent with a diagnosis of alcohol dependency and borderline personality disorder rather than PTSD.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired Psychiatric Disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 10, 2009
- Citation
- 0947011
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 0947011.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability is rated at 100 percent, and he is granted SMC based on housebound status. The issue of entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is dismissed as moot due to the grant of a 100 percent schedular rating for his service-connected acquired psychiatric disability.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to her military service and not a pre-existing condition. The decision also acknowledges that her service-connected disabilities may have contributed to her current mental health issues.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD and an acquired psychiatric disability is being remanded due to the submission of new and relevant evidence. The AOJ will now consider these claims on their merits.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for PTSD, rhinitis, and sinusitis are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations to determine if these conditions are related to her military service.
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