The Board determined that the Veteran's character of discharge from November 8, 1989 to July 20, 2001 was dishonorable and thus barred VA benefits for this period. The claim for service connection for depression is reopened based on new evidence. Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (depression) is granted.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's character of discharge during the relevant period was found to be dishonorable, which bars VA compensation benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 5303 and 38 C.F.R. § 3.12(d)(4).
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired psychiatric disorder (depression), Left arm disorder, Left leg disorder, Headache disorder
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 24, 2018
- Citation
- 1824198
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 1824198.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's left ankle disability and headache disorder secondary to PTSD with alcohol use disorder have been granted increased ratings, effective September 16, 2018.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's headache disorder is remanded for further examination and opinion to determine if it is related to service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, headache disorder, and stroke residuals are being remanded due to duty-to-assist errors. The AOJ needs to determine if the Veteran participated in a toxic exposure risk activity (TERA) during his honorable period of active service from March 1982 to September 1985 and obtain VA examinations for hypertension, stroke residuals, and headaches.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's headache disorder, finding that it is at least as likely as not secondary to his service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
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