The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for PTSD prior to January 11, 2018 was denied as his symptoms did not warrant a disability rating in excess of 50 percent.,The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for PTSD from January 11, 2018 was also denied. The examiner indicated that the Veteran’s level of occupational and social impairment was with deficiencies in most areas, such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking and/or mood.,The Veteran's claim for TDIU due to service-connected disabilities was denied. The evidence did not support a finding that he is unemployable as a result of his single service-connected PTSD disability.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of the evidence does not show occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking and/or mood for the period prior to January 11, 2018.,For the period from January 11, 2018 onwards, the Veteran's level of occupational and social impairment was with deficiencies in most areas, such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking and/or mood. However, his symptoms did not meet the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 70 percent.,The evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran is unemployable due to his single service-connected PTSD disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- August 19, 2019
- Citation
- 19163952
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,726 · Granted: 19% (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 19163952.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
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: 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.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: 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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