The Board found that the Veteran's current psychiatric conditions do not meet the criteria for service connection as PTSD, and there is no clear and unmistakable evidence of a pre-existing condition. The Board concluded that the Veteran did not have an in-service stressor sufficient to support a diagnosis of PTSD, and thus denied his claim.
The deciding factor: The medical opinion provided by Dr. B.L., while acknowledging the Veteran's assertions about stressors during service, found them insufficient to meet the criteria for PTSD as per DSM-IV. The Board also noted that there was no clear and unmistakable evidence of a pre-existing psychiatric condition.
- Claimed conditions
- major depressive disorder, depression not otherwise specified (NOS), panic disorder, anxiety NOS
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 1, 2013
- Citation
- 1335139
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 1335139.
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 Veteran's claim for specially-adapted housing assistance and a special home adaptation grant was denied because he does not meet the criteria for either benefit based on his service-connected disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, is being remanded due to the need for additional development regarding his alleged stressors.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder has been dismissed as the appellant requested withdrawal of the appeal.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided that the Veteran's service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, should be remanded due to a failure to verify a stressor related to the death of his two best friends in Iraq. The AOJ needs to develop this stressor.
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