The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, due to a finding that his condition existed prior to service and was not aggravated by military service.
The deciding factor: The pre-existing nature of the Veteran’s psychiatric conditions, specifically his unspecified anxiety disorder and PTSD, were found to have been present before service and did not meet the criteria for presumptive service connection under 38 C.F.R. § 3.309(a).
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired psychiatric disorder, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 18, 2020
- Citation
- 20074096
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD due to an inadequate medical opinion.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of February 21, 2007, for the award of service connection for PTSD and major depressive disorder with anxious distress.
- Granted
The Board granted a rating of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI), as the Veteran's symptoms most nearly approximated occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.
- Granted
The Board granted a disability rating of 70 percent for PTSD and a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU) based on the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.
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