The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and bipolar disorder, was denied as there is no evidence of a stressor related to his claimed in-service events. The Board also found that the preponderance of the evidence did not support a finding that any acquired psychiatric disorder or psychosis was incurred during service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's involvement with the claimed stressor (the death of Sergeant Ortiz) has not been confirmed, and there is no independent verification of the event. The Board found that the preponderance of the evidence did not support a finding that any acquired psychiatric disorder or psychosis was incurred during service.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired Psychiatric Disorder, Bipolar Disorder with psychotic features
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 1, 2010
- Citation
- 1024744
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 1024744.
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
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