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 back condition and/or aggravated by service-connected left knee strain. The Veteran's testimony regarding compensating for in-service left knee symptoms during strenuous physical activity is also considered.,The left knee strain rating is remanded because no VA examiner has adequately addressed whether it is related to active duty service or secondary to his service-connected back condition and/or aggravated by service-connected left knee strain. The Veteran's testimony regarding compensating for in-service left knee symptoms during strenuous physical activity is also considered.
- 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
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD due to an inadequate medical opinion.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of February 21, 2007, for the award of service connection for PTSD and major depressive disorder with anxious distress.
- 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 Board granted a disability rating of 70 percent for PTSD and a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU) based on the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.
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