The Board has determined that the evidence currently of record is sufficient to substantiate the Veteran's claim for entitlement to an earlier effective date for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with bipolar disorder. The Veteran initiated a claim in October 1991 and his claim was finally denied by the Board in September 2002 due to unverified claimed in-service stressors. Since then, relevant official service records have been submitted that corroborate the Veteran's in-service stressors, leading to an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection.
The deciding factor: The submission of additional relevant official service records post-decision by the Board has provided evidence necessary to substantiate previously deficient elements of the Veteran's claim for service connection. These records were instrumental in corroborating the Veteran's claimed in-service stressors, which were found to be the primary basis for his acquired psychiatric disorder.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired Psychiatric Disorder
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 30, 2017
- Citation
- 1736035
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 1736035.
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.
- 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.
- Denied
The claims for PTSD, an acquired psychiatric disorder, memory loss/memory problems, chronic fatigue, sleep difficulties/sleep disturbances, and sleep apnea have been denied. The claim for service connection for residuals of testicular denervation and varicosectomy has been granted.
- Granted
The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is granted a 70% rating, effective July 15, 2024. The Veteran's GERD remains at a 10% rating.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance due to service-connected TBI with PTSD is granted, effective September 6, 2018.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.