The Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date and TDIU have been dismissed as the appeal is not about service connection at all, but rather challenges the effective date of a disability rating.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's freestanding claim seeking an earlier effective date than April 18, 2017 for the 100 percent disability rating for PTSD, bipolar disorder, and ADHD lacks legal merit. The appeal for TDIU has been rendered moot by the grant of a total schedular rating for the service-connected disabilities throughout the entirety of the appeal period.
- Claimed conditions
- posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), bipolar disorder, attention deficit/hyperactive disorder (ADHD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- October 26, 2020
- Citation
- A20015971
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Veteran was granted a 70 percent initial disability rating for PTSD effective December 2, 2021, but the claim for an increased rating in excess of 70 percent was denied. The appeal also included claims for service connection and ratings for various conditions, some of which were granted while others were remanded.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of October 17, 2022, for the grant of service connection for PTSD.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for headaches and increased ratings for left shoulder rotator cuff tear, right shoulder rotator cuff tear, hypertension, and left and right leg restless leg syndrome. The Board denied a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeal for an increased rating of his service-connected PTSD during a Board hearing, and the appeal is therefore dismissed.
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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.