The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his other specified trauma and stressor related disorder (claimed as PTSD) is denied, and the claim for individual unemployability is also denied.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not show that the Veteran’s mental health condition meets or approximates the criteria for a higher than 50 percent evaluation under any applicable diagnostic code. The VA examiner found no deficiencies in most areas such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood, and total occupational and social impairment.
- Claimed conditions
- Other specified trauma and stressor related disorder (claimed as PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- December 4, 2018
- Citation
- 18154964
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 18154964.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 50% rating for PTSD is granted from January 6, 2020.,The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 10% rating for tinnitus is granted from January 6, 2020. The Veteran had already been service connected for tinnitus at the maximum possible rating of 10 percent disabling prior to this decision.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's other specified trauma and stressor related disorder (claimed as PTSD) was initially rated at 30 percent prior to November 30, 2022. The Board found that the severity, frequency, and duration of his psychiatric symptoms were no worse than a 30 percent rating, which corresponds to occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform tasks.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for other specified trauma and stressor related disorder (claimed as PTSD) is denied, with the effective date set at July 26, 2016.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for other specified trauma and stressor related disorder (claimed as PTSD) is denied. The earliest possible effective date is March 29, 2017.
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