The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) was denied. The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability did not meet the criteria for higher ratings from May 19, 2011, through May 6, 2019, or from May 7, 2019. The Board also found that he could secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to June 17, 2019.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability did not meet the criteria for higher ratings as his occupational and social impairment was not severe enough to reduce reliability and productivity or produce deficiencies in most areas such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired psychiatric disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 7, 2021
- Citation
- 21072973
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 21072973.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal regarding attorney fees for past-due benefits awarded in a June 2021 rating decision is dismissed as moot due to the waiver of rights by R.V.C.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's request to readjudicate the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability with alcohol and drug abuse is granted. The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence sufficient to readjudicate the claim has been received, but further development is needed due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error regarding verification of reported deaths in service.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection for a low back condition and an acquired psychiatric disability are dismissed as procedural defects due to the overlapping nature of the appeals.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, finding that his claimed stressors did not meet the DSM-5 criteria for PTSD and concluding that there was no causal relationship between any current mental health condition and his military service.
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