The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for PTSD and TDIU was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not show total social or occupational impairment, thus denying a 100% rating for PTSD. For TDIU, while he met the schedular criteria with his combined disability rating of 80%, the Board determined he is unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's psychiatric symptoms did not cause total social or occupational impairment, and his vocational evaluation indicated that he was totally disabled from all competitive employment due to PTSD, hearing loss, and tinnitus.
- Claimed conditions
- PTSD with major depressive disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- November 23, 2021
- Citation
- A21018680
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 A21018680.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeal for SMC at the housebound rate was denied as he did not have a single service-connected disability rated as 100 percent disabling, and his TDIU based on PTSD with major depressive disorder alone is not sufficient to meet the criteria for SMC at the housebound rate.
- Granted
The Veteran's TDIU claim was granted from November 7, 2019, due to the service-connected disabilities including PTSD with major depressive disorder.
- Denied
The Board denied an effective date prior to January 31, 2019, for service connection of PTSD with major depressive disorder.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of November 19, 2020, for the assignment of a TDIU and DEA under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 35 but denied an earlier effective date for a 70 percent rating for PTSD with major depressive disorder.
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