The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date of his service connection award for PTSD and bipolar disorder, finding that the September 2003 rating decision remained final due to lack of new and material evidence within one year of the original denial.
The deciding factor: The Veteran failed to provide sufficient information for VA to identify and obtain relevant service department records about the U.S.S. Mount Hood's involvement in Southwest Asia, which was necessary to verify his in-service stressor.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Bipolar disorder
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 31, 2019
- Citation
- 19182704
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 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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