The Veteran's diagnosed Other Specified Trauma and Stressor-Related Disorder is etiologically related to in-service events, leading to a grant of service connection. The Board also found that the Veteran has bilateral peripheral neuropathy due to herbicide exposure during service.
The deciding factor: Service treatment records show the Veteran had multiple surgeries for rib issues and PTSD symptoms were consistent with his reported stressors from service. Peripheral neuropathy was diagnosed as severe sensorimotor mixed axonal demyelinating polyneuropathy, likely related to in-service herbicide exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- Other Specified Trauma and Stressor-Related Disorder, Peripheral neuropathy of the left, lower extremity, Peripheral neuropathy of the right, lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- April 5, 2019
- Citation
- 19125995
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,828 · Granted: 32% (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 19125995.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
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: Denied
The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for left upper extremity brachial plexopathy is denied, while his other specified trauma and stressor-related disorder is granted a 70 percent rating.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including other specified trauma and stressor-related disorder. The evidence shows that his symptoms began during service and are linked to in-service events.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service connection claim for Other Specified Trauma and Stressor-Related Disorder is granted, while his claim for Unspecified Personality Disorder with antisocial and borderline features is denied due to it being a congenital defect.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than binge eating disorder to obtain a new VA medical opinion.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.