The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 30 percent prior to January 5, 2017 and 70 percent thereafter. The Board has found the evidence does not support higher ratings for this condition.,For the period beginning on January 5, 2017, the Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent. The Board has found that the evidence does not support a higher rating of 100 percent as total occupational and social impairment is not shown.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners have consistently opined that the Veteran’s PTSD symptoms are best described by the 30 percent rating criteria, which includes mild to moderate symptoms such as depressed mood, anxiety, suspiciousness, chronic sleep impairment, panic attacks weekly or less often, and mild memory loss. The evidence does not support a higher rating of 100 percent due to total occupational and social impairment.,The VA examiners have consistently opined that the Veteran’s PTSD symptoms are best described by the 50 percent rating criteria, which includes reduced reliability and productivity. The evidence does not support a higher rating of 70 percent as it is based on deficiencies in most areas such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Left upper extremity radiculopathy, Right upper extremity radiculopathy, Left lower extremity radiculopathy, Right lower extremity radiculopathy, Right ankle disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- February 5, 2019
- Citation
- 19108370
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,030 · Granted: 17% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 19108370.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
- Denied
The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50% since March 23, 2004. The Board found that a higher rating is not warranted prior to February 15, 2005 due to the severity of his symptoms and their impact on his social and occupational functioning.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and any acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current mental health conditions and his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 70% disability rating. The Veteran also met the criteria for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
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