From August 15, 2003 to March 22, 2007, the Veteran's PTSD symptoms were manifested by chronic sleep impairment, nightmares, irritability, anger outbursts, constant anxiety, impaired insight, and an occasional decrease in work efficiency. From March 23, 2007, his PTSD has been manifesting with occupational and social impairment due to such symptoms as flashbacks, constant anxiety, frequent panic attacks, hypervigilance, anger, unprovoked irritability, an exaggerated startle response, suicidal ideations, social isolation, nightmares, and a GAF score range of 42 to 48. The Veteran's PTSD has been found to preclude gainful employment.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's symptoms from March 23, 2007 have resulted in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas due to severe symptoms such as suicidal ideation, frequent panic attacks, hypervigilance, anger outbursts, and an exaggerated startle response.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- May 3, 2010
- Citation
- 1016155
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 1016155.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
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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