The Veteran's claim for service connection for diverticulitis with claimed diarrhea/nausea/constipation has been reopened, and he is granted a 50 percent disability evaluation for PTSD and other specified depressive disorder. The initial disability evaluation in excess of 50 percent for PTSD and other specified depressive disorder is denied. The Veteran's claim for service connection for gastrointestinal condition secondary to PTSD is remanded.
The deciding factor: The evidence submitted since the final April 2002 rating decision includes new and material evidence that relates to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim, raising a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim for service connection for diverticulitis with claimed diarrhea/nausea/constipation.
- Claimed conditions
- diverticulitis, diarrhea/nausea/constipation, chronic otitis external, PTSD, other specified depressive disorder
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- January 4, 2019
- Citation
- 19100749
Veterans Law Judge
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19100749.
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.
- Granted
The Board of Veterans' Appeals has granted service connection for PTSD and Mood Disorders, both presumed conditions under the PACT Act.
- Partly granted
The Board has not made a final determination on the claims of service connection for inguinal hernia, PTSD, joint pain, fibromyalgia, left knee disability, right knee disability, tinnitus, chronic fatigue syndrome, respiratory disability, sleep disorder, IBS, and headaches. The claims are remanded to obtain additional evidence and determine if these conditions are related to service.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a colon condition, including as caused by herbicide agent exposure or secondary to his service-connected disabilities, was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection on any basis.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD was granted with an initial evaluation of 50 percent, effective September 24, 2007. The appeal regarding the heart condition and sleep disorder is denied. The Veteran's hearing loss prior to August 24, 2015, warrants a 20 percent rating.
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