The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for PTSD is granted with a disability rating of 50 percent effective from April 26, 2016.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for other conditions (vertebral fracture and lumbar discectomy, cervical strain, IBS, and bilateral hearing loss) are denied as they were not received within one year after separation from service or earlier.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not support an effective date prior to April 26, 2016 for the grants of service connection for PTSD, vertebral fracture and lumbar discectomy, cervical strain, IBS, and bilateral hearing loss.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Vertebral Fracture and Lumbar Discectomy, Cervical Strain, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Bilateral Hearing Loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- November 1, 2024
- Citation
- A24071226
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,316 · Granted: 43% (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 A24071226.
What this means for you
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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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