The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of gunshot wound to the face and an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The decision found that the Veteran was AWOL at the time of his gunshot wound injury, which prevented him from being in the line of duty. Additionally, there was no credible supporting evidence of a stressor related to combat or service-connected conditions.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that the Veteran's gunshot wound occurred while he was absent without leave (AWOL), preventing it from being incurred in the line of duty. The claim for PTSD was denied because there was no verified stressor and the Veteran did not engage in combat, thus precluding the use of the combat presumption.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of gunshot wound to the face, acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 11, 2019
- Citation
- 19127722
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
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