The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD has been reopened and is granted. The claim for bladder cancer is denied as there is no evidence of a current diagnosis.,The claim for skin cancer remains pending, with the need for an addendum opinion to address whether it is related to in-service exposure or sunburns/sun exposure.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD has been remanded. An addendum opinion is needed regarding whether his diagnoses are related to fear of hostile military activity or a verified stressor.,The claim for service connection for COPD remains pending, with the need for an addendum opinion addressing whether it is related to presumed exposure to jet fuel in service.,The cause of death claim has been remanded. The Board will consider the relationship between the Veteran's PTSD and his respiratory disorder (COPD) as well as any other factors that may have contributed to his death.
The deciding factor: The decision is mixed because some claims are granted while others remain pending or are remanded for further evaluation.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Bladder Cancer, Skin Cancer, Respiratory Disorder (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, COPD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 27, 2020
- Citation
- 20014734
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 20014734.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
- Denied
The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50% since March 23, 2004. The Board found that a higher rating is not warranted prior to February 15, 2005 due to the severity of his symptoms and their impact on his social and occupational functioning.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and any acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current mental health conditions and his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 70% disability rating. The Veteran also met the criteria for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
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