The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, and a claim for an increased rating for bilateral foot metatarsalgia with left fibroma. The Veteran's claims were not supported by sufficient evidence to establish the required link between his current conditions and his military service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not provide credible supporting evidence of in-service stressors related to fear of hostile military or terrorist activity, which is necessary for a PTSD claim. His VA treatment records showed diagnoses of anxiety and depression but no direct connection to service. The Board found that the current rating assigned under Diagnostic Code 5279 adequately reflects his disability level.
- Claimed conditions
- anxiety, depression
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- November 19, 2019
- Citation
- 19187231
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The appeal is remanded for further development and consideration of the Veteran's claims for service connection for various acquired psychiatric disorders.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including back pain, knee and wrist joint pains, neck pain, anxiety, depression, as further development is needed to properly adjudicate these claims.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for generalized anxiety disorder and denied service connection for a lower back disorder. The claims for depression, substance abuse disorder, and a compensable initial rating for bilateral hearing loss were dismissed.
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