The Board denied earlier effective dates for the service connection of PTSD, right and left shoulder disabilities, and neck disability, as well as higher ratings for these conditions and a TDIU.
The deciding factor: The January 1985 rating decision implicitly denied the Veteran's claim for delayed stress/PTSD, and subsequent claims were not filed within one year. The March 2017 intent to file did not result in an earlier effective date due to the requirement of a formal service connection claim being filed within one year.
- Claimed conditions
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Right shoulder degenerative arthritis with bicipital tendonitis, shoulder strain, and rotator cuff tear, Left shoulder rotator cuff tear with degenerative arthritis, Degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine with cervical spondylolisthesis, Right upper extremity radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 16, 2025
- Citation
- A25044233
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,170 · Granted: 38% (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 A25044233.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders and their relationship to service.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his bilateral lower extremity conditions and PTSD, resulted in a loss of use of both lower extremities such that he is entitled to specially adapted housing.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for earlier effective dates on all issues related to his service-connected conditions.
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