The Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for a 70 percent rating for PTSD and TDIU have been denied as there is no persuasive evidence of a chronic worsening of his PTSD symptoms to the degree required for a 70 percent rating until he sought out additional medical treatment on March 2, 2016.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's PTSD symptoms worsened significantly after seeking additional medical treatment in March 2016, which is when the record shows an increase in his medication and referral to a PTSD program. The earlier statement from his wife about a November 2015 breakdown does not meet the standard for a chronic worsening of symptoms.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- September 10, 2022
- Citation
- 22051546
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 22051546.
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.
- 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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