The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was denied due to lack of medical evidence diagnosing PTSD. The Board found that the Veteran's psychiatric condition is better diagnosed as bipolar disorder, which does not meet the criteria for service connection under the provisions of 38 C.F.R. § 3.304(f). For TDIU, the Veteran was granted based on his already established service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not support a diagnosis of PTSD and the Veteran's claimed in-service stressor event could not be corroborated by credible supporting evidence.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Bipolar Disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- December 22, 2021
- Citation
- 21076227
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 21076227.
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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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