The Board denied service connection for a respiratory disability and granted an initial 50 percent rating for PTSD, effective February 17, 2016. The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran’s current respiratory disabilities had onset during service or were related to his military service, including exposure to herbicide agents. For PTSD, the Board found no medical evidence linking the disability to service, particularly to exposure to herbicide agents or asbestos.
- Claimed conditions
- Respiratory disability, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- January 22, 2021
- Citation
- 21003810
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 21003810.
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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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