The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back condition and an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD with depressive disorder not otherwise specified. The appeal was remanded for further action on other issues, but these were no longer before the Board due to a grant of service connection for bilateral knee conditions and left ear hearing loss.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's low back condition clearly preexisted service and was not aggravated by service, while his PTSD with depressive disorder did not meet the criteria for an initial rating in excess of 50 percent as there were no objective symptoms that met the required level of occupational and social impairment.
- Claimed conditions
- low back condition, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with depressive disorder not otherwise specified
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 14, 2020
- Citation
- 20003420
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and other benefits, finding that the evidence did not support higher ratings or additional compensation.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection of a low back condition to obtain an adequate medical opinion, as the presumption of soundness has not been rebutted.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a low back condition, finding that the Veteran's current disability had its clinical onset during his active duty service.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a low back condition, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.
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