The Veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD, a right knee condition, a back condition, and a right ankle condition has been granted. The appeal to reopen the PTSD claim is also granted. Service connection is established for PTSD based on personal assault allegations. The appeals for the right knee, back, and right ankle conditions are remanded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran presented new evidence (a statement from his roommate) supporting a verified in-service stressor leading to PTSD. The VA examiner confirmed that the Veteran's current symptoms of PTSD are related to service. For the right knee, back, and right ankle conditions, additional medical examination is required as there is insufficient evidence linking these conditions directly to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Right Knee Condition, Back Condition, Right Ankle Condition
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 23, 2020
- Citation
- 20074915
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, as it needs a medical opinion addressing the nature and etiology of the condition prior to October 16, 2023.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities.
- Partly granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular aid and attendance of another since September 30, 2020.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for headaches and right hand strain, increased the ratings for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, dyshidrotic eczema, and hypertension, and denied service connection for Parkinsonism, pes planus/flat feet, GERD, tinea versicolor, allergic rhinitis, and tinnitus. The Board also granted a TDIU.
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