The Veteran's PTSD symptoms do not result in total occupational and social impairment, but they cause significant impairments in work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood. The Board denied an initial rating higher than 70 percent for PTSD. However, the Veteran was granted a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities precluding him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's PTSD symptoms do not meet the criteria for a higher rating as they do not result in total occupational and social impairment.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder with Major Depression
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- August 13, 2018
- Citation
- 18125656
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 18125656.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's PTSD with major depression is rated at 70 percent disabling, and the Board has denied a higher rating. The case is remanded for further consideration of entitlement to TDIU.
- Partly granted
- Denied
The Veteran's initial ratings for PTSD prior to December 5, 2014 and from December 5, 2014 were denied as her symptoms did not meet the criteria for higher disability ratings.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for further medical opinions regarding the Veteran's cause of death, specifically whether his hypertension and service-connected PTSD with Major Depression were contributory causes of death.
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