The Veteran's PTSD is not rated higher than 50 percent from May 31, 2012 to July 13, 2016.,Service connection for right hand disability and bilateral elbow disability are denied as they do not meet the criteria of a qualifying chronic disease or undiagnosed illness.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not show that the Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Right Hand Disability, Bilateral Elbow Disability, Bilateral Ankle Disability, Bilateral Knee Condition, Bilateral Hip Condition
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 21, 2018
- Citation
- 18137579
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 18137579.
What this means for you
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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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