The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, arthritis, a back disorder, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as bipolar disorder and/or schizoaffective disorder). The Board found no current disability related to PTSD and thus denied the claim. Service connection was not granted for any of the other conditions.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not have a diagnosed PTSD and there is no evidence showing that his claimed stressor occurred during service, or if it did occur, that he experienced fear of hostile military activity as required by VA regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- arthritis, back disorder, acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as bipolar disorder and/or schizoaffective disorder), flat feet
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 15, 2020
- Citation
- A20015570
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)
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- Dismissed
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- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for pes planus (flat feet) and remanded several other issues, including service connection for various disorders and increased ratings for the right knee. The Board granted a 20 percent rating for right knee instability.
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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.