The Board grants service connection for other specified trauma and stressor related disorder based on credible assertions, supporting evidence of a traumatizing experience, news article and court documentation of the drill sergeant, lay statements, and the August 2021 VA examination and positive nexus opinion.
The deciding factor: The April 2023 VA examiner's opinion is less persuasive as there is evidence to support that the Veteran's in-service event occurred, as supported by the Court findings of the drill sergeant consistent with the Veteran's assignment, the consistency of the Veteran's reported event, and the Veteran's symptoms that resulted.
- Claimed conditions
- other specified trauma and stressor related disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- April 14, 2025
- Citation
- A25034381
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for other specified trauma and stressor related disorder, previously claimed as PTSD.
- Denied
The Board denied an initial disability rating greater than 30 percent for other specified trauma and stressor related disorder, finding the Veteran's symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as other specified trauma and stressor related disorder, due to a conceded in-service assault.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for sleep apnea, left shoulder bicipital tendon tear, hypogonadism, erectile dysfunction, and left carpal tunnel syndrome. The claims for increased ratings for lumbar spondylosis with facet arthropathy and lumbosacral strain, right hip strain with osteoarthritis, other specified trauma and stressor related disorder, left and right ankle lateral collateral ligament sprain, right shoulder rotator cuff tear, left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome (to include iliotibial band syndrome), and chronic right wrist sprain were denied. The Board also granted an effective date of July 7, 2023 for the award of increased ratings.
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