The Board denied the Veteran's claims for PTSD and a lumbar spine disorder, finding no current diagnosis of either condition. The claim for PTSD was denied due to lack of evidence conforming to DSM-IV criteria. The claim for a lumbar spine disorder is remanded as there is insufficient information in the July 2006 VA examination report.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service treatment records show complaints and diagnoses related to his back, but no current diagnosis of PTSD or a chronic lumbar spine disorder was found in the post-service medical records. The July 2006 VA examiner could not provide a definitive opinion without resorting to speculation.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Lumbosacral Strain
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 21, 2011
- Citation
- 1146505
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 1146505.
What this means for you
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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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