The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that his current diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder does not meet the criteria for PTSD due to unverified stressors and insufficient evidence linking his symptoms to military service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found no adequate stressor in Panama to support a diagnosis of PTSD, leading to denial of service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired psychiatric disorder (Major Depressive Disorder)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 22, 2019
- Citation
- 19130759
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
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is denied as it is due to his own willful misconduct during service, specifically his unauthorized absences and misconduct.
- Granted
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- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical examination to determine if the Veteran's current neck strain is related to his in-service activities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD due to an inadequate medical opinion.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.