The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50 percent, and his gastric adenocarcinoma and residual scar from gastric surgery are both granted service connection based on in-service herbicide agent exposure.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's symptoms of PTSD were found to be consistent with a 50% rating under the General Formula for Mental Disorders. His gastric adenocarcinoma is presumed due to his in-service herbicide agent exposure, and his residual scar from gastric surgery is considered secondary to his service-connected cancer.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Gastric Adenocarcinoma, Residual Scar from Gastric Surgery
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- October 31, 2019
- Citation
- 19182621
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,861 · Granted: 27% (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 19182621.
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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