The Veteran's claim for PTSD was denied as there is no verified in-service stressor. The right shoulder disability claim has been reopened due to new and material evidence, but service connection remains denied.,Service connection for a right shoulder disability secondary to the service-connected right knee disability was granted.,PTSD was not established based on the lack of verified in-service stressors.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's PTSD claim cannot be substantiated due to insufficient evidence corroborating the claimed stressor events. The Board found that the preponderance of the evidence is against the claim for service connection for PTSD.,New and material evidence was received showing a right shoulder disability related to the service-connected right knee disability, thus granting service connection on a secondary basis.,The VA examiner opined that there is no medical documentation or research linking the right knee disability to the right shoulder disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Right Shoulder Disability, Acquired Psychiatric Disorder (other than PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 1, 2020
- Citation
- 20044205
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 20044205.
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.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.