The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to November 2, 2010 for the grant of service connection for PTSD was denied. The Board found that the decision became final due to lack of appeal within a year after it was issued in December 2008. The Veteran did not file another claim until November 2, 2010 when he petitioned to reopen his PTSD claim, which resulted in its grant with an effective date set at November 2, 2010.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that the criteria for an earlier effective date were not met as the Veteran did not file a timely appeal of the initial denial and no new evidence was submitted within one year of the decision becoming final.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Low Back Disability, Left Leg Disability
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 15, 2018
- Citation
- 18102435
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 18102435.
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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