The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depressive disorder, NOS, due to a lack of credible supporting evidence that the claimed in-service stressors occurred. The diagnoses of PTSD are not considered probative as they rely on unsubstantiated claims of combat service in Vietnam.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's reported non-combat stressors were not supported by the current evidence of record and that his diagnoses of PTSD are based at least in part on accounts of combat traumas which are found not credible.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Depressive Disorder, NOS
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 22, 2020
- Citation
- 20048971
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 20048971.
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.
- 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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