The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability was denied. The Board found that the preponderance of evidence did not support finding that his current back condition began during active service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury.,For PTSD, the Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 50 percent prior to May 21, 2012 was denied. The Board found that the severity, frequency, and duration of his PTSD symptoms did not more closely approximate total occupational and social impairment.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's STRs showed treatment for back pain in 1988 but no chronic condition prior to a work injury in 2009. The VA examiner found the Veteran’s current diagnoses of IVDS, DJD, degenerative disc disease (DDD), and arthritis were not related to his service.,The Veteran's PTSD symptoms did not meet the criteria for total occupational and social impairment as defined by the General Formula for Mental Disorders.
- Claimed conditions
- back disability, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), sciatica of the right lower extremity, sciatica of the left lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 5, 2020
- Citation
- 20071790
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 998 · Granted: 40% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 20071790.
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
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The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, is being remanded due to the need for additional development regarding his alleged stressors.
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