The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, as new and material evidence was not submitted to reopen the claim. The Veteran did not engage in combat with the enemy during military service and credible supporting evidence of an in-service stressor sufficient to support a diagnosis of PTSD has not been demonstrated.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's statements concerning his alleged in-service experiences were not credible, as there was no evidence of such experiences or any diagnosed PTSD. The Veteran did not engage in combat with the enemy and therefore could not rely on lay testimony alone to establish a stressor.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired Psychiatric Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 9, 2012
- Citation
- 1200598
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 1200598.
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 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.
- Denied
The claims for PTSD, an acquired psychiatric disorder, memory loss/memory problems, chronic fatigue, sleep difficulties/sleep disturbances, and sleep apnea have been denied. The claim for service connection for residuals of testicular denervation and varicosectomy has been granted.
- Granted
The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is granted a 70% rating, effective July 15, 2024. The Veteran's GERD remains at a 10% rating.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance due to service-connected TBI with PTSD is granted, effective September 6, 2018.
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