The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, as there was no current diagnosis of PTSD and no evidence of a nexus between any diagnosed condition and service.
The deciding factor: The November 2017 VA examiner's opinion provided the most persuasive evidence regarding the Veteran's current diagnoses, concluding that he does not have a current diagnosis for PTSD. The Board found the private psychologist's opinion inadequate due to lack of rationale and inaccurate factual premises.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Acquired psychiatric disorder, to include depression, anxiety
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 29, 2024
- Citation
- 24004255
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder to ensure a proper examination and etiology opinion are provided.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for PTSD, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor and finding that his PTSD is related to an in-service military sexual trauma (MST) during a period of ACDUTRA.
- Remanded (sent back)
The appeal is remanded for further development and consideration of the Veteran's claims for service connection for various acquired psychiatric disorders.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of May 17, 2019, for a 70 percent disability rating for PTSD but denied earlier effective dates for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.