The Veteran has been granted service connection for PTSD and an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, but his claims for back, right knee, and left knee disabilities have not met the criteria for service connection.
The deciding factor: There is no medical evidence linking the current diagnoses of degenerative joint disease to service or any verified in-service stressor related to service. The Veteran's reported symptoms are more consistent with post-service onset and do not meet the criteria for service connection under direct service connection rules.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Acquired Psychiatric Disorder other than PTSD, Degenerative Joint Disease of the Back, Degenerative Joint Disease of the Right Knee, Degenerative Joint Disease of the Left Knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 24, 2017
- Citation
- 1705706
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 1705706.
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.
- 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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