The Board denied service connection for PTSD because the Veteran's own willful misconduct caused his PTSD, which precludes service connection.
The deciding factor: The court-martial conviction found the Veteran guilty of assault during a self-defense incident, and this behavior is considered 'willful misconduct' under VA regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 26, 2019
- Citation
- 19122085
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,017 · Granted: 36% (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 19122085.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board granted a 70 percent disability rating for PTSD and denied an increased rating for tinnitus, while remanding the issue of entitlement to TDIU.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims of service connection for PTSD, Anxiety Disorder, High Blood Pressure, and Tinnitus. The rating for his unspecified depressive disorder with unspecified trauma and stressor related disorder was reduced from 70% to 50%, effective August 1, 2022.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to errors in fulfilling pre-decisional duty to assist, including verifying the Veteran's claimed in-service stressors and obtaining VA examination for PTSD.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depression, finding that there was no evidence linking his current condition to his military service.
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