The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD, finding that his symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not reflect occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity due to PTSD. The Veteran was 'happily' married and had positive peer networks, despite occasional irritability and anger.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Left wrist strain, Right wrist strain, Left hand strain, Right hand strain, Left knee strain and degenerative arthritis status post left total knee replacement, Right knee strain and degenerative arthritis status post right total knee replacement, Left elbow strain, Right elbow strain, Left shoulder strain status post left clavicle fracture, Right shoulder strain, Left ankle strain, Right ankle strain, Lumbosacral strain, Cervical strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- May 7, 2025
- Citation
- A25041550
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 141 · Granted: 15% (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 A25041550.
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 is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) at the (o) rate and SMC at the (r)(2) rate, effective January 19, 2025. The decision finds that the Veteran's service-connected conditions warrant these awards due to his need for aid and attendance.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for cervical strain, service connection for left leg pain (claimed as joint pain), and service connection for a left ear hearing condition are being remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for cervical spine strain, right wrist sprain, right knee strain, left knee strain, and right ankle strain. The disabilities are all deemed to have begun during the Veteran's active duty.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has identified a contradiction in the AOJ's determinations regarding the Veteran's need for aid and assistance, which requires clarification. The remanded issues are entitlement to SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance of another and on the basis of statutory housebound status.
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