The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date of August 15, 1986 for his service connection for PTSD. The decision found that entitlement to this benefit did not arise prior to this date.
The deciding factor: The earliest evidence of a nexus between the Veteran’s psychiatric symptomatology and service was in April 2005, but no specific in-service stressor had been identified until August 15, 1986 when he claimed his condition began during Reserve service in 1984.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Dysthymic Disorder, Generalized Anxiety
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 8, 2021
- Citation
- 21007137
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 21007137.
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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