The Veteran's PTSD is granted as service-connected based on a confirmed in-service stressor.,Service connection for lumbosacral strain is granted, with the opinion being approximately evenly balanced.,Service connection for residuals of head injury (TBI, headaches, and blurry vision) is remanded due to inadequate medical examination.
The deciding factor: The Veteran has a current diagnosis of PTSD based on a confirmed in-service stressor.,There is credible supporting evidence that the Veteran's lumbosacral strain disability had its onset during service or within one year after separation, and there is no other competent medical opinion to contradict this finding.,The VA examiner did not consider the Veteran's reports of continuous back pain symptoms since separation from active duty service.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Lumbosacral strain, Residuals of a head injury, to include Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), headaches, and blurry vision
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 18, 2023
- Citation
- A23036358
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 A23036358.
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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