Board Decision Lookup › PTSD
How the Board ruled on PTSD claims, 2021–2025
How the Board of Veterans' Appeals ruled on PTSD service-connection claims in 2021–2025, for every theory and secondary pairing we publish. Board-appealed cases only, counted per claim. Last updated October 4, 2026.
These are past Board decisions, not a prediction for any individual case, and not legal advice. The percentage is among DECIDED cases; cases sent back to VA (remanded) are counted separately.
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PTSD (direct service connection)
Direct (began in or was caused by service), or theory not stated in the Board order
58% granted of 3,491 decided cases (margin of error 56.4–59.6%). 2,025 granted, 1,466 denied, 1,983 sent back to VA (remanded, not decided), 894 dismissed.
What convinced the Board in granted cases
- The Board granted when the in-service stressor was established. This happened through combat service or fear of hostile military activity, where the veteran's own credible account was enough, or through records that corroborated the event, such as service treatment records or duty-station records. (9 of 14 decisions read; e.g. 23018774, 21027505, 22051171)
- A mental health examiner who interviewed the veteran, reviewed the file, and explained the link between the PTSD and the stressor provided the nexus the Board relied on. (7 of 14 decisions read; e.g. 21016648, 24001225, A25021602)
- A negative VA opinion was given less weight when it did not account for the veteran's description of the stressors and symptoms, or when it skipped the direct theory and ignored a private treating physician's PTSD diagnosis. (2 of 14 decisions read, few decisions; e.g. 22018401, A21003196)
Common reasons in denied cases
- The Board denied because there was no current PTSD diagnosis meeting DSM-5 criteria. VA examiners found other conditions or no PTSD, screenings were negative, and the veteran's belief was not a diagnosis. (13 of 17 decisions read; e.g. 24007466, A25020326, A24049059)
- The claimed stressor was not combat-related and was not corroborated by service records or other credible evidence, so the veteran's statement alone could not establish it. (7 of 17 decisions read; e.g. 21064981, 22050856, A23030415)
- A private PTSD opinion was given no weight when the medical records did not support it, or when it relied on stressors the veteran had never reported. (2 of 17 decisions read, few decisions; e.g. A24049059, 23004177)
PTSD secondary to any service-connected condition
Secondary (caused or worsened by a service-connected condition)
42.9% granted of 49 decided cases (margin of error 30.0–56.7%). 21 granted, 28 denied, 78 sent back to VA (remanded, not decided), 4 dismissed.
What convinced the Board in granted cases
- The Board granted when a VA or VA-contracted examiner diagnosed PTSD and linked it to a stressor or a service-connected condition, such as a life-threatening diabetes diagnosis, and no medical evidence disagreed. (3 of 7 decisions read; e.g. 23058087, 21030267, 23026379)
- The veteran's consistent, credible account of the stressor was accepted, even when records could not verify it, especially when the examiner relied on it to diagnose PTSD. (3 of 7 decisions read; e.g. 23026379, 21030267, 23040147)
- When medical opinions on whether the veteran had PTSD were roughly equal in weight, the Board resolved the doubt in the veteran's favor. (2 of 7 decisions read, few decisions; e.g. 23015153, 23057796)
Common reasons in denied cases
- Most denials turned on diagnosis: VA examiners found the veteran did not meet the DSM-5 criteria for PTSD, and their reasoned findings outweighed private records listing PTSD. (4 of 6 decisions read; e.g. 21007484, 21066702, A24020503)
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Other conditions
- Alcohol or substance use disorder
- Anemia / blood disorder
- Ankle
- Arm / upper extremity
- Arthritis
- Asthma / COPD / lung condition
- Bladder / urinary condition
- Chronic fatigue
- Dental / jaw
- Depression / psychiatric disorder
- Diabetes
- Elbow
- Erectile dysfunction
- Eye / vision
- Fibromyalgia
- Foot (flat feet / plantar fasciitis)
- GERD / acid reflux
- Hand / fingers
- Hearing loss
- Heart disease
- Hemorrhoids
- Hepatitis / liver
- Hernia
- Hip
- Hypertension
- Insomnia / sleep disorder
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Kidney disease
- Knee
- Low back (lumbar spine)
- Lower leg (incl. shin splints)
- Memory loss / cognitive
- Migraine / headaches
- Neck (cervical spine)
- Parkinson's disease
- Prostate (non-cancer)
- Prostate cancer
- PTSD
- Radiculopathy / peripheral neuropathy
- Sarcoidosis / pulmonary fibrosis
- Seizure disorder
- Shoulder
- Sinusitis / rhinitis
- Skin condition
- Sleep apnea
- Stroke
- Thyroid
- Tinnitus
- Vertigo / dizziness
- Wrist
Percentages are shown only for combinations with at least 30 decided cases (granted + denied). Named secondary pairings with 10–29 decided cases are listed as "small sample" with counts only. "ANY service-connected condition (all combined)" pools every secondary claim for that condition. Other combinations exist, but there are too few decided cases to report. Each claim is counted by the Board's ruling on that specific claim (a decision covering several issues is split by issue). Remanded = sent back to VA for more work, not decided. "What convinced the Board" summarizes a reading of up to 25 granted and 25 denied Board decisions for each claim type, with the decision numbers shown so any point can be checked. Board-appealed cases only, not regional-office decisions. Information only, not legal advice. Flat Rate Nexus is a private medical practice, not affiliated with the VA.
Source: Board of Veterans' Appeals decisions, 2021–2025. Last updated October 4, 2026. flatratenexus.com · Privacy · Terms