The Veteran's PTSD has been manifested by symptoms such as depressed mood, anxiety, panic attacks that occur weekly or less often, chronic sleep impairment, mild memory loss (such as forgetting names, directions or recent events), disturbances of motivation and mood, difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships, difficulty in adapting to stressful circumstances (including work or a worklike setting), and obsessional rituals which interfere with routine activities. The criteria for an initial disability rating of 50 percent for PTSD have been met for the entire period on appeal; however, the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 50 percent have not been met for any period on appeal.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's symptoms most closely approximated occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity as per Diagnostic Code (DC) 9411, warranting a 50% disability rating.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- September 28, 2015
- Citation
- 1541771
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 1541771.
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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