The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, panic disorder, bipolar disorder, and depression. The claim is granted as the evidence shows a link between the Veteran's in-service stressor of military sexual trauma (MST) and her current psychiatric disorders.
The deciding factor: The Board found credible the Veteran's reported in-service stressor of MST and supported it with lay statements from the Veteran and her family, which established that she experienced a personal assault during service. The VA examiner's opinion linking PTSD to the in-service stressor was also considered as supporting evidence.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Panic disorder, Bipolar disorder, Depression
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 15, 2021
- Citation
- 21014800
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 21014800.
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.
- 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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