The Veteran's PTSD is granted with a 100% disability rating, effective October 16, 2017.,An earlier effective date for service connection of PTSD is denied.,Service connection for back disability is not reopened and remains denied.,Service connection for bilateral knee disability is not reopened and remains denied.,Service connection for bilateral ankle disability is not reopened and remains denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's PTSD has been shown to cause total occupational and social impairment throughout the appeal period, warranting a 100% rating.,No new evidence was submitted within one year of the September 2016 denial for service connection of PTSD, thus no effective date earlier than October 16, 2017 can be granted.,The Veteran did not submit new and material evidence to reopen his claim for back disability since the September 2016 decision.,The Veteran did not submit new and material evidence to reopen his claim for bilateral knee disability since the September 2016 decision.,The Veteran did not submit new and material evidence to reopen his claim for bilateral ankle disability since the September 2016 decision.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Back disability, Bilateral knee disability, Bilateral ankle disability
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- June 3, 2020
- Citation
- 20038027
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 20038027.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
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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