The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date prior to September 19, 2017 for a 50 percent rating for service-connected PTSD is denied. The Veteran was previously granted service connection and a 10 percent initial rating for PTSD on May 1, 2009, but did not file a VA Form 9 within the required timeframe to perfect his appeal.
The deciding factor: The effective date of an award based on an original claim is generally fixed in accordance with the facts found, but shall not be earlier than the date of receipt of the claim or the date entitlement arose. In this case, the Veteran did not file a VA Form 9 within one year of receiving the February 2010 Statement of the Case.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Degenerative Arthritis of the Lumbar Spine with Intervertebral Disc Syndrome (IVDS) and Radiculopathy of the Left Lower Extremity with Sciatic Nerve Involvement, Residuals of a Left Hip Strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- December 1, 2023
- Citation
- 23063733
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 23063733.
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 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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