The Veteran's PTSD with TBI symptoms have been evaluated as a single condition, resulting in a 50 percent rating. The Board found that the Veteran’s symptoms do not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's PTSD and TBI symptoms did not result in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood, which would warrant a higher rating under DC 9411.
- Claimed conditions
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- August 1, 2019
- Citation
- 19159407
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 19159407.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted a rating of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI), as the Veteran's symptoms most nearly approximated occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.
- Granted
The Veteran's effective date for the award of a 100 percent rating for PTSD with alcohol use disorder moderate and TBI was granted as of October 22, 2019.
- Denied
The Board denied earlier effective dates for the grant of service connection and increased evaluations for GERD, sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, and TBI.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, as it needs a medical opinion addressing the nature and etiology of the condition prior to October 16, 2023.
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