The Veteran's mental disorder disability, specifically PTSD and TBI, is rated at 70 percent since January 29, 2013. The claim for an initial rating higher than 70 percent has been denied as the evidence does not show that a higher rating is warranted.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's mental disorder disability manifested with occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, and mood. The symptoms included depressed mood; anxiety; nightmares; flashbacks; hypervigilance; chronic sleep impairment; panic attacks; intermittent suicidal thoughts; socially-isolative behaviors; memory impairment; difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships; disturbances in motivation and mood; difficulty in adapting to stressful circumstances; and intermittent inability to perform activities of daily living, including maintenance of minimal personal hygiene.
- Claimed conditions
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- February 29, 2024
- Citation
- 24009904
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 24009904.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to December 27, 2019 for the grant of service connection for PTSD was denied as there is no earlier claim document in the claims file and the Veteran did not timely perfect an appeal.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD is granted as a result of military sexual trauma (MST) that occurred during service. The Board found the Veteran's testimony and supporting evidence credible, including her VA and private treatment records.
- 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.
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