The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including PTSD, depressive disorder, TBI, and related disabilities, were denied as there is no evidence of a current diagnosis or link to service.
The deciding factor: There is no competent medical evidence showing the Veteran has any diagnosed psychiatric disorders, including PTSD and depressive disorder. The Veteran's STRs do not indicate he had mental health symptoms during service, and his post-service VA records show he consistently denied depression and other mental health issues.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired Psychiatric Disorder (including Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Depressive Disorder), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Headache disorder secondary to TBI, Diabetes Mellitus type II (DM), Kidney Disorder secondary to DM, Bilateral Eye Disorder, including secondary to DM or TBI, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disorder (GERD), Low Back Disorder, Disability due to left leg length discrepancy (claimed as 'muscle damage to the left side'), Pelvic Injury, Rheumatoid Arthritis (claimed as 'skeletal arthritis of entire joint system'), Right Hip Disorder secondary to a service-connected left hip disability, Right Knee Disorder secondary to a service-connected left hip disability, Bilateral Foot Disorder secondary to a service-connected left hip disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 7, 2023
- Citation
- 23059970
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 23059970.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and its residuals, including unsteady gait, somnolence, and cognitive dysfunction. The decision is based on the Veteran's credible lay statements about in-service head injuries and subsequent seizures.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and therefore, service connection for TBI is denied.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance due to service-connected TBI with PTSD is granted, effective September 6, 2018.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for special monthly pension (SMP) based on the need for aid and attendance is granted due to his cognitive impairment resulting from a motor vehicle accident in 2018, which has rendered him unable to work and needing assistance with daily activities.
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