The appeal for an earlier effective date prior to January 28, 2010, for the award of service connection for PTSD and bipolar disorder was dismissed as it is a freestanding claim that cannot be challenged once the decision becomes final.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's claim constitutes a 'freestanding' effective date claim and must be dismissed because she did not appeal the effective date assigned in the October 2012 rating decision or submit new and material evidence within one year of notice of the decision, making it final.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic stress disorder, Bipolar disorder
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 7, 2025
- Citation
- A25031946
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A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot.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.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of May 9, 2022, for the grant of service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder with generalized anxiety disorder, other specified depressive disorder, and alcohol use disorder.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and personality disorder, due to the need for further development of the record.
- Denied
The Board denied an increased rating higher than 70 percent for the Veteran's psychiatric disorder, finding that his symptoms did not more closely approximate total occupational and social impairment.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, generalized anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, and alcohol use disorder, as the Veteran's claimed in-service stressors were not credible.
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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.