The Board has determined that there is no current diagnosis of PTSD and thus service connection for PTSD cannot be established. The Veteran's claim for a back disorder was also denied as the evidence does not support a finding of in-service injury or disease resulting in a current disability.
The deciding factor: There is no competent medical evidence diagnosing PTSD, and the Veteran did not experience an in-service stressor that would allow service connection based on combat exposure. The VA examiner found no chronic back disorder during active duty and opined that any current mild degenerative joint disease of the lumbosacral spine was less likely than not incurred or aggravated by service.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Back disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 8, 2010
- Citation
- 1021116
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 1021116.
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 denied an initial disability rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD, finding the appellant's symptoms did not more closely approximate occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD due to an inadequate medical opinion.
- Granted
The Board granted a disability rating of 70 percent for PTSD and a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU) based on the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of February 21, 2007, for the award of service connection for PTSD and major depressive disorder with anxious distress.
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