The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death due to PTSD or other service-connected condition, as there was no link between the Veteran's reported in-service stressors and his current psychiatric disabilities. The Appellant's and friend's statements were not competent to state that the Veteran’s psychiatric disorders were caused by an event in service.
The deciding factor: The VA examination did not find a link between the Veteran's more recent psychological disabilities and any in-service stressors, and the Veteran himself reported that the in-service MST did not impact him significantly.
- Claimed conditions
- Depression, Anxiety Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 11, 2018
- Citation
- 18141734
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 18141734.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple myeloma, back disability (secondary to multiple myeloma), and depression, with an effective date of January 26, 2021. The decision also remanded claims related to breast cancer, DEA benefits, and initial ratings.
- Denied
The veteran's bad conduct discharge precludes eligibility for VA benefits, including compensation and healthcare.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and personality disorder, due to the need for further development of the record.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to the death of the Appellant during its pendency.
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