Service connection for PTSD is granted.,Service connection for unspecified depressive disorder as secondary to service-connected back condition is granted.,The Veteran's multiple joint arthritis claim is remanded.,The Veteran's cervical spondylosis and right knee conditions are both remanded.,The Veteran's left knee strain rating is remanded.
The deciding factor: Service connection for PTSD is granted because the Veteran has a current disability (PTSD) that is related to verified in-service stressors, which are conceded due to combat service. The evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's current PTSD is related to active duty service.,Service connection for unspecified depressive disorder is granted because it is proximately due to his service-connected back condition. The VA examiner found that the Veteran’s symptoms did meet the criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD and associated with the Veteran’s exposure to trauma stressors while serving in Operation Desert Storm and in Iraq.,The multiple joint arthritis claim is remanded as no VA examiner has opined whether it is related to active duty service. The current diagnosis is referenced in the Veteran's VA treatment records with a September 2015 diagnosis date.,The cervical spine condition and right knee conditions are both remanded because no VA examiner has adequately addressed whether they are directly related to active duty service or secondary to his service-connected left knee strain. The examiner did not address the secondary service connection theory based on aggravation.,The Veteran's left knee strain rating is remanded as he testified that his right knee issues developed from compensating for his left knee injury during strenuous physical activity, and there was no examination addressing this issue.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Unspecified Depressive Disorder, Multiple Joint Arthritis, Cervical Spondylosis, Right Knee Condition
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 8, 2019
- Citation
- 19177531
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,084 · Granted: 20% (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 19177531.
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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