The Veteran's PTSD is granted as secondary to his service-connected left shoulder pain and degenerative disc disease. Service connection for hypertension is denied. The ratings for cervical strain, lumbosacral strain, right lower extremity radiculopathy sciatic nerve, and right upper extremity radiculopathy lower radicular group are restored or maintained.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinion established that the Veteran's PTSD was caused by his service-connected left shoulder disability and degenerative disc disease. The reduction in ratings for cervical strain with DDD and IVDS and left lower extremity radiculopathy sciatic nerve were found to be improper due to lack of proper examination and evidence of sustained improvement.
- Claimed conditions
- hypertension, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), lumbosacral strain, right lower extremity radiculopathy sciatic nerve, right upper extremity radiculopathy lower radicular group
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 19, 2026
- Citation
- A26015051
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 A26015051.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to conflicting opinions regarding service connection for peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and skin disabilities related to herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and increased rating for anxiety disorder have been denied. The Board found that there is no evidence of a current disability meeting the criteria for hypertension, and the Veteran's anxiety disorder does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
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