The Board found that there is no competent medical evidence establishing a diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder based on an in-service traumatic event or stressor. The acquired psychiatric disorder was not shown to have onset during service, nor within one year of separation from service. The weight of the competent medical evidence is against finding a nexus between the post-service diagnosis of a psychiatric disorder and service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service records do not contain any documented in-service stressor or mental health issues that would support a claim for PTSD. There is no clear and convincing evidence to contradict the Veteran's lay testimony regarding his experiences during service, but there is also no medical evidence linking current psychiatric disorders directly to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired psychiatric disorder (including schizophrenia), Multiple sclerosis
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 19, 2011
- Citation
- 1138924
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 1138924.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for multiple sclerosis to correct a duty to assist error in obtaining relevant private treatment records.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection of the Veteran's cause of death to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased disability ratings for lumbar spine and multiple sclerosis disabilities due to his failure to appear for scheduled VA examinations without good cause.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for further development and examination, as well as readjudication.
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