The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for service connection of PTSD and higher initial ratings for his lumbar spine and cervical spine disabilities. The appeal is currently pending.
The deciding factor: The effective date claim was not properly before the Board as it pertains to a final rating decision, and the higher initial rating claims were denied based on lack of new and material evidence.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Lumbosacral strain with residual post-surgical changes of posterior decompression L3-4 through L5-S1 with disc herniation (lumbar spine disability), Cervical spine strain with degenerative disk disease and herniated nucleus pulposus (cervical spine disability)
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 27, 2017
- Citation
- 1729595
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 1729595.
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
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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