The Board denied the claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no credible evidence supporting a link between the Veteran's reported personal assault during service and his current psychiatric condition.
The deciding factor: The Board found the Veteran's inconsistent statements regarding the nature and timing of the alleged personal assault, as well as the lack of corroborating evidence, to be insufficient for establishing service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- April 24, 2020
- Citation
- 20028925
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 20028925.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board finds the evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran has an acquired psychiatric disorder related to service, particularly given inconsistencies in his statements and lack of combat service.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been received to warrant readjudicating the appellant's claim of service connection for the Veteran's cause of death. The case is remanded for further development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's death.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for thoracolumbar spine degenerative arthritis and DDD was granted effective August 29, 2022. Service connection was established for vitreous syneresis / vitreous floaters of both eyes. The claims for service connection for refractive error of both eyes (myopia and astigmatism), bilateral hearing loss disability, residuals of a traumatic brain injury (TBI), obstructive sleep apnea, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD) were all denied.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board granted an earlier effective date of June 30, 2022, for service connection and a 100 percent disability rating from August 30, 2024.
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