The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for his service-connected acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, is denied as the earliest allowable effective date is January 21, 2015.
The deciding factor: The Veteran filed a claim on January 21, 2015, which was more than one year after separation from active duty. The earliest effective date allowed by law for the award of service connection is the date of his claim, January 21, 2015.
- Claimed conditions
- acquired psychiatric disability
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 21, 2020
- Citation
- 20004555
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 disability to correct a pre-decisional error in the duty to assist, specifically to obtain an adequate VA medical opinion addressing the Veteran's asserted in-service stressors.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 30 percent rating for right hand strain status-post fracture of the third metacarpal and denied service connection for various other conditions including a right ankle condition, foot disability (torn Achilles tendon), acquired psychiatric disability, ear condition, head injury, left leg disability, and low back disability.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for a lumbosacral spine disability and an acquired psychiatric disability is dismissed due to the Veteran's death during the pendency of the appeal.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, finding a current diagnosis and a link to an in-service event.
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