The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for PTSD and unspecified depressive disorder is denied.,The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for right ear hearing loss is remanded.,The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for a right knee scar is remanded, and he also appeals for a higher initial rating.,The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for his service-connected right knee scar is remanded.
The deciding factor: No formal or informal claims were received prior to the effective dates mentioned in the issues listed above. The earliest possible effective date he may receive is January 8, 2013.,The Veteran did not file a notice of disagreement for his right ear hearing loss claim within one year from the September 2015 decision.,The Veteran did not file a notice of disagreement for his right knee scar claim within one year from the December 2018 decision. The claims are therefore remanded to allow him to perfect his appeal.,The Veteran's service-connected right knee scar does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Unspecified Depressive Disorder, Right Ear Hearing Loss, Right Knee Scar
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 29, 2019
- Citation
- 19167499
Veterans Law Judge
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 19167499.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
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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