BVA Case 20-3886: PTSD
BVAReal Board of Veterans' Appeals decision · · MOORE, Chief Judge
Conditions Claimed
Official 2026 VA monthly compensation, including the 2.8% COLA increase.
Dependent add-ons start at a 30% rating. Child-only and dependent-parent rates: see the full 2026 pay chart.
2026 base rates, all ratings (veteran alone)
| Rating | Monthly (2026, incl. 2.8% COLA) |
|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 |
| 20% | $356.66 |
| 30% | $552.47 |
| 40% | $795.84 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 |
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Issues on Appeal
PTSDAnxietyPsychiatricEye
Why It Was Decided This Way
Be- cause we find no legal error in the Veterans Court’s interpretation of its standard of review and the benefit of the doubt rule, we affirm.
The Board found that the preponderance of evidence supported a finding that Mr.
The Veterans Court found no error in the Board’s application of the benefit of the doubt rule under 38 U.
Section 5107(b) provides that “[w]hen there is an approximate balance of positive and negative evidence regarding any issue mate- rial to the determination of a matter, the Secretary shall give the benefit of the doubt to the claimant.
” In other words, if the competing evidence is in “approximate bal- ance” or “nearly equal,” then the benefit of the doubt rule requires the Board to rule in favor of the veteran.
The Veterans Court concluded that this “finding is not clearly erroneous.
And thus, the benefit of the doubt doctrine does not apply here.
A This case is another in a series challenging various as- pects of the benefit of the doubt rule.
Authorities Cited
Regulations Cited (38 CFR / 38 USC)
Denial Type
Preponderance Against
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