The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, and the Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (including schizophrenia), a back condition, and a respiratory condition to include COPD. The claim for PTSD remains denied due to lack of evidence of an in-service stressor. Service connection for hepatitis C was not addressed as it is unrelated to the other claims.
The deciding factor: The Veteran submitted new medical opinions supporting his diagnoses and service connection claims, which were found sufficient to reopen the previously denied claims.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired psychiatric disorder (including schizophrenia), Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Back condition, Respiratory condition (COPD), Hepatitis C
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 5, 2019
- Citation
- 19125954
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,515 · Granted: 20% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 19125954.
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 Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) at the (o) rate and SMC at the (r)(2) rate, effective January 19, 2025. The decision finds that the Veteran's service-connected conditions warrant these awards due to his need for aid and attendance.
- Denied
The Board denied a compensable initial rating for Hepatitis C, finding that the Veteran's condition was asymptomatic and did not meet the criteria for any higher rating.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has identified a contradiction in the AOJ's determinations regarding the Veteran's need for aid and assistance, which requires clarification. The remanded issues are entitlement to SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance of another and on the basis of statutory housebound status.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection of his back condition due to inadequate medical opinion and failure to consider all relevant evidence.
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