The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, anxiety, and depression, as well as hepatitis C. The preponderance of evidence did not support a finding that these conditions had their onset during active service or were otherwise related to his military service.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations found no current diagnosis of PTSD in accordance with the DSM-V criteria, and both examiners determined that the Veteran's symptoms did not meet the required number, frequency, or severity for a PTSD diagnosis. The Board also noted that there was insufficient evidence linking any diagnosed psychiatric disability to service.
- Claimed conditions
- anxiety, depression, PTSD
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 24, 2019
- Citation
- 19180602
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
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 service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder to ensure a proper examination and etiology opinion are provided.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for PTSD, generalized anxiety disorder, and somatic symptom disorder, as well as presumptive service connection for basal cell carcinoma under the PACT Act. Service connection was denied for chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, right restless leg syndrome, left restless leg syndrome, an increased rating for psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, a left forehead surgical scar, and allergic rhinitis.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, as the Veteran did not have a diagnosis of PTSD or any other psychiatric disorder during the appeal period.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple conditions, including an acquired psychiatric disorder, sleep apnea, hypertension, and various musculoskeletal and skin disabilities.
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