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Denied

The Board denied the Veteran's requests for earlier effective dates for service connection and related benefits, including PTSD, diabetes mellitus, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, and SMC based on loss of use of a creative organ. The effective date assigned was July 20, 2012.

The deciding factor: The Board found that no earlier effective dates were warranted as per VA regulations for the grant of service connection and related benefits due to the Veteran's discharge upgrade from an other than honorable to an honorable status on May 4, 2015.

Claimed conditions
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Diabetes Mellitus, Type II, Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy of the Left Lower Extremity, Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy of the Right Lower Extremity
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating assigned
100%
Decision date
December 20, 2018
Citation
18159971

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 18159971.

What this means for you

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