The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, a psychiatric disability other than PTSD, cervical spine disability, degenerative changes of the lumbar spine, left hand disability to include frostbite residuals, and right hand disability to include frostbite residuals have been denied as there is no competent evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's disabilities were not shown during or within one year after service discharge, and there is no medical opinion linking the current disabilities to service. The passage of many years between discharge from active service and the medical documentation of a claim disability is a factor that weighs against a claim for service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Psychiatric Disability Other Than PTSD, Cervical Spine Disability, Degenerative Changes of the Lumbar Spine, Left Hand Disability to Include Frostbite Residuals, Right Hand Disability to Include Frostbite Residuals
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 15, 2013
- Citation
- 1337269
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 1337269.
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.
- 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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