The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, depression, and anxiety due to a lack of current diagnoses and conflicting medical opinions. The Veteran was presumed exposed to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune during his military service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD or any other acquired psychiatric disorder based on DSM-5 criteria, despite reports of symptoms such as flashbacks and nightmares. The examiner also ruled out diagnoses of depression and anxiety due to negative impression management and possible malingering.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Depression, Anxiety
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 14, 2020
- Citation
- 20060378
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 20060378.
What this means for you
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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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