Veterans’ RightsAn independent resource for veterans
← All decisions
Dismissed

The claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for an adjustment disorder and PTSD is dismissed.,The claim for an effective date prior to May 25, 2016 for the award of a 70 percent rating for an adjustment disorder and PTSD is dismissed.,A rating in excess of 10 percent for RLE radiculopathy is denied.

The deciding factor: The August 16, 2018 rating decision was a purely ministerial implementation of the May 23, 2018 Board decision regarding the issues of the rating and effective date that were assigned for the service connected mental health disability.,The persuasive evidence of record weighs against a finding of a rating in excess of 10 percent for RLE radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve.,The effective date is granted as January 2, 2016, but no earlier.

Claimed conditions
adjustment disorder with PTSD, radiculopathy of the right lower extremity (RLE) sciatic nerve
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating assigned
70%
Decision date
January 22, 2024
Citation
24003191

Veterans Law Judge

MATTHEW W. BLACKWELDER

Decisions by this judge: 2,329 · Granted: 31% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)

Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.

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 24003191.

What this means for you

A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.

What you can do next

Related decisions

Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.

Free starter guide for your own claim

Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.

We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.

We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.

This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.