The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have an acquired psychiatric disability related to his active service, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.
The deciding factor: There is no competent evidence of a nexus between the Veteran's current psychiatric disorders and his active service. The only evidence of a nexus are the Veteran's assertions, which are not sufficient to establish a medical opinion linking his conditions to his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), Alcohol Dependence Disorder, Opioid Use Disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 7, 2020
- Citation
- 20001255
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 an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include MDD, as secondary to service-connected disabilities due to a duty to assist error.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including GAD, MDD, PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and foot disabilities. The claim for NSC pension benefits was dismissed as moot due to a higher disability rating.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of June 21, 2024, for the award of service connection for major depressive disorder (MDD).
- 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.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.