The Veteran seeks an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The Board finds that the earliest date of a PTSD diagnosis is March 15, 2012. Therefore, the claim cannot be granted as there is no evidence of a diagnosis prior to this date.
The deciding factor: The effective date must be the later of the date such claim was received by VA and the date the disability arose. The earliest diagnosis of PTSD in the record is March 15, 2012.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 2, 2016
- Citation
- 1603549
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 1603549.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
Service connection for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is granted. The appeal as to the issue of entitlement to service connection for erectile dysfunction is dismissed.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for PTSD with alcohol use disorder was denied, and he was granted a TDIU. The Board found that the symptoms did not meet criteria for a 100% disability rating.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder with Insomnia Disorder, was granted. The effective date is set at October 25, 2022.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD has been granted a 70% rating effective March 25, 2024. The Board found that the increase in severity of his disability warranted this rating.
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