The Veteran's PTSD is granted a 70 percent rating prior to October 12, 2013. The Veteran's lumbar spine DDD is denied a higher than 20 percent rating from February 23, 2009 to July 14, 2010.
The deciding factor: The Veteran presented with persistent suicidal ideation and other PTSD symptoms that warranted a 70 percent rating under the General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders. The lumbar spine DDD did not meet criteria for higher ratings due to lack of total occupational and social impairment prior to October 12, 2013.
- Claimed conditions
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Degenerative Disc Disease of the Thoracolumbar Spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- November 1, 2019
- Citation
- 19182724
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 an earlier effective date for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, as it needs a medical opinion addressing the nature and etiology of the condition prior to October 16, 2023.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities.
- Partly granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular aid and attendance of another since September 30, 2020.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for headaches and right hand strain, increased the ratings for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, dyshidrotic eczema, and hypertension, and denied service connection for Parkinsonism, pes planus/flat feet, GERD, tinea versicolor, allergic rhinitis, and tinnitus. The Board also granted a TDIU.
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