The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, arthritis, and eye conditions (including conjunctivitis and blindness in one eye) due to new evidence received since the last final denial. The Veteran's PTSD is found to be related to his active duty service.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence now shows a link between the Veteran's current PTSD symptoms and his reported sexual assault during service, which is considered an in-service stressor.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD), Arthritis, Eye conditions, including conjunctivitis and blindness in one eye
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 17, 2015
- Citation
- 1552749
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 1552749.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error in previous examinations, requiring additional information on right shoulder ROM measurements without medication effects.
- Denied
The Board finds the evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran has an acquired psychiatric disorder related to service, particularly given inconsistencies in his statements and lack of combat service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been received to warrant readjudicating the appellant's claim of service connection for the Veteran's cause of death. The case is remanded for further development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's death.
- Granted
The Veteran's disability ratings for low back disability and right lower extremity radiculopathy have been reduced from 40% and 10%, respectively, to 20% and 0%. The reduction was based on improvements shown in recent VA examinations.
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