The Veteran's claim for PTSD was initially filed on May 25, 1993. The RO denied the claim in April 1994 due to lack of diagnosis. After receiving new evidence and an examination, the RO issued a January 1995 SSOC but did not respond to the Veteran's March 1995 appeal. The Veteran submitted her Intent to File in November 2017, leading to the May 2018 rating decision awarding service connection for PTSD effective from that date. The Board found the April 1994 denial was not final and granted an effective date of May 25, 1993.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's initial claim was filed within 60 days of the January 1995 SSOC, preventing the previous denial from becoming final. The RO did not respond to her March 1995 appeal and thus the April 1994 decision is considered inapplicable.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 20, 2022
- Citation
- 22041403
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 22041403.
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 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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