The VA determined that the Veteran's mental disorders, specifically Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Depression, were not incurred in service. The Board found no clear and unmistakable evidence of a pre-existing condition and concluded that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for service connection.
The deciding factor: VA medical records indicate that the Veteran was diagnosed with PTSD related to his childhood abuse and not due to any military stressors. The May 2014 VA addendum opinion supported this conclusion, stating that the Veteran's PTSD is associated with his history of prolonged childhood physical abuse from his father.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Depression
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 23, 2014
- Citation
- 1447141
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 1447141.
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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