The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and anxiety disorder. The VA examiner's opinion was considered more probative than the private treatment records' diagnoses due to lack of specific Criterion A stressor for PTSD and insufficient evidence linking symptoms to military service or tinnitus.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner determined that the Veteran did not meet full criteria for an anxiety disorder diagnosis based on DSM-5 standards, thus ruling out a secondary service connection for anxiety as it related to his tinnitus. The private treatment records provided no specific Criterion A stressor and failed to establish a nexus between the diagnosed conditions and military service or tinnitus.
- Claimed conditions
- anxiety disorder, PTSD
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 21, 2017
- Citation
- 1734116
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 1734116.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board of Veterans' Appeals has granted service connection for PTSD and Mood Disorders, both presumed conditions under the PACT Act.
- Partly granted
The Board has not made a final determination on the claims of service connection for inguinal hernia, PTSD, joint pain, fibromyalgia, left knee disability, right knee disability, tinnitus, chronic fatigue syndrome, respiratory disability, sleep disorder, IBS, and headaches. The claims are remanded to obtain additional evidence and determine if these conditions are related to service.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and increased rating for anxiety disorder have been denied. The Board found that there is no evidence of a current disability meeting the criteria for hypertension, and the Veteran's anxiety disorder does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD was granted with an initial evaluation of 50 percent, effective September 24, 2007. The appeal regarding the heart condition and sleep disorder is denied. The Veteran's hearing loss prior to August 24, 2015, warrants a 20 percent rating.
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