The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD and variously diagnosed associated psychiatric disability is granted.,Service connection for GERD secondary to exposure to tactical herbicides / Agent Orange is denied.,An increased rating for loss of use of the left hand remains at 60 percent.,Effective dates prior to October 12, 2012, are not established for SMC for loss of use of the left hand, service connection for left knee instability, limitation of flexion, and limitation of extension.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's PTSD is linked to his military service based on combat stressors experienced in Vietnam.,There is no evidence linking GERD to exposure to Agent Orange or other specific service-connected conditions.,The current rating for loss of use of the left hand remains at 60 percent as there was no factual increase prior to October 12, 2012.,Effective dates are not established because the Veteran did not submit new and material evidence within a year of the June 1970 decision.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Variously diagnosed associated psychiatric disability
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 21, 2018
- Citation
- 18137696
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 18137696.
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.
- 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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