The Veteran's left arm disability is granted as secondary to his service-connected acquired psychiatric disability.,Anxiety reaction prior to April 25, 2016 was denied for a higher rating.,A 70 percent disability rating for anxiety reaction effective from April 25, 2016 was granted.,A 100 percent disability rating for anxiety reaction effective from July 11, 2017 was granted.
The deciding factor: The evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the motor vehicle accident resulting in the Veteran's left arm disability was caused by his service-connected acquired psychiatric disability.,Prior to April 25, 2016, the Veteran’s anxiety reaction symptoms were consistent with occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.,As of April 25, 2016, the Veteran's anxiety reaction symptoms resulted in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas including work, family, judgment, thinking, and mood.,As of July 11, 2017, the Veteran’s anxiety reactions symptoms resulted in total occupational and social impairment with symptoms including persistent hallucinations and delusions, inability to establish and maintain relationships, difficulty adapting to stressful circumstances, disorientation to time or place, and neglect of personal appearance and hygiene.
- Claimed conditions
- Left arm disability, Acquired psychiatric disability
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- December 20, 2018
- Citation
- 18159415
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 18159415.
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.
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The Veteran's appeal regarding attorney fees for past-due benefits awarded in a June 2021 rating decision is dismissed as moot due to the waiver of rights by R.V.C.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's request to readjudicate the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability with alcohol and drug abuse is granted. The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence sufficient to readjudicate the claim has been received, but further development is needed due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error regarding verification of reported deaths in service.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection for a low back condition and an acquired psychiatric disability are dismissed as procedural defects due to the overlapping nature of the appeals.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, finding that his claimed stressors did not meet the DSM-5 criteria for PTSD and concluding that there was no causal relationship between any current mental health condition and his military service.
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