The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, is denied. A disability rating of 40 percent for gout is granted. The criteria for increased ratings for thoracolumbar spondylosis of L5 with degenerative disc disease are not met prior to December 3, 2019 and subsequent to that date. Increased ratings for left knee and right knee disabilities are also denied. A separate rating of 10 percent for instability of the right knee is granted. The Veteran's claim for a total rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU) effective October 1, 2020 is granted.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not establish a current disability of an acquired psychiatric disorder during the pendency of the appeal or prior to the Veteran's filing of a claim. The VA psychiatrist found no evidence of PTSD in the Veteran's medical records and determined that his symptoms did not meet the diagnostic criteria for a mental disorder, to include PTSD, under DSM-5 criteria.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired Psychiatric Disorder (to include PTSD), Gout, Thoracolumbar Spondylosis of L5 with Degenerative Disc Disease, Left Knee Disability, Right Knee Disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- May 12, 2021
- Citation
- 21028955
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 21028955.
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 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 Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities are not related to his active service, and thus denied both claims for service connection.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right knee disability, finding that there is no evidence to support an etiological relationship between his current condition and his military service.
- Denied
The Veteran's left knee disability is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board finds no evidence of clear and unmistakable error in assigning an effective date of June 19, 2002.
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