The Board found that the Veteran's reported history of pre-existing psychiatric conditions does not constitute clear and unmistakable evidence to rebut the presumption of soundness at entry into service. The competent and credible evidence fails to support a finding that the Veteran currently has PTSD or any other acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, etiologically related to his period of active military service.
The deciding factor: The pre-existing psychiatric conditions reported by the Veteran do not constitute clear and unmistakable evidence to rebut the presumption of soundness at entry into service. The medical records fail to show a diagnosis of PTSD or any other acquired psychiatric disorder during service or for several decades thereafter, and there is no competent evidence linking it to an incident of service origin.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired psychiatric disorder, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 26, 2013
- Citation
- 1338972
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 1338972.
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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