The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted. The Board finds that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's PTSD is related to an in-service personal assault, including military sexual trauma (MST). The Veteran's bilateral knee disability is remanded due to inadequate medical opinion regarding its relationship to her service-connected lumbar spine disability.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the evidence was at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's PTSD was related to an in-service personal assault, including MST. For the bilateral knee issue, the Board determined that a remand is necessary due to inadequate medical opinion regarding its relationship to her service-connected lumbar spine disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Left Knee Disability, Right Knee Disability
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 23, 2021
- Citation
- A21018681
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 A21018681.
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 service-connected knee disabilities are rated at 10% each, and the Board finds that higher ratings are not warranted based on the evidence of record.
- 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.
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