The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, but the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.,Service connection for sleep apnea has been granted as secondary to service-connected PTSD.,Service connection for colon cancer has been granted based on exposure to environmental hazards.,Service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity and left upper extremity has not been established.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's symptoms do not meet the criteria for a higher rating under DC 9411, as they are not indicative of occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.,New evidence submitted since the December 2013 denial supports service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to PTSD.,Service connection for colon cancer is granted based on exposure to environmental hazards during service.,There is insufficient evidence to establish a diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy of the right and left upper extremities.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Colon Cancer, Peripheral Neuropathy of the Right Upper Extremity, Peripheral Neuropathy of the Left Upper Extremity
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 5, 2019
- Citation
- 19160434
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,088 · Granted: 33% (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 19160434.
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's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
- Denied
The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50% since March 23, 2004. The Board found that a higher rating is not warranted prior to February 15, 2005 due to the severity of his symptoms and their impact on his social and occupational functioning.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and any acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current mental health conditions and his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 70% disability rating. The Veteran also met the criteria for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
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