The Board denied an earlier effective date for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities, finding that it is not factually ascertainable that the Veteran was precluded from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation prior to November 30, 2023.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was no increase in disability warranting a TDIU prior to November 30, 2023 due to the Veteran's mental status remaining within normal limits and not showing exacerbation from any baseline prior to this date.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with polysubstance abuse
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- April 10, 2026
- Citation
- A26033330
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 A26033330.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 70 percent evaluation for PTSD with polysubstance abuse but denied service connection for right lower extremity shrapnel wounds.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the issue of entitlement to an increased rating for PTSD with polysubstance abuse.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
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