The Board has granted the reopening of the claim for service connection for PTSD, but further development is needed to determine if there was a stressor event in service and whether the Veteran's current psychiatric disabilities are related to his military service.
The deciding factor: New evidence received since the last denial includes allegations of fear of hostile military or terrorist activity during service, which may constitute a stressor for PTSD. The Board has found this new evidence sufficient to reopen the claim but further examination is needed to determine if there was an actual stressor event and whether the Veteran's current psychiatric disabilities are related to his service.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Multiple Sclerosis, Bilateral Knee Disability, Bilateral Hip Disability, Right Shoulder Disability
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 29, 2014
- Citation
- 1443381
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 1443381.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining records of the Appellant's reserve component service and conducting a VA examination to determine if her multiple sclerosis is related to service.
- 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.
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