BVA Case 231010-383562: PTSD
BVAReal Board of Veterans' Appeals decision · March 20, 2025 · SHEREEN M. MARCUS
Conditions Claimed
PTSDDepressionPsychiatricBackHipTBIHeartGITDIUEye
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
PTSDDepressionPsychiatricBackHipTBIHeartGI
Why It Was Decided This Way
254, 258 (1999) (noting that the "clear and convincing" burden of proof, while a higher standard than a preponderance of the evidence, is a lower burden to satisfy than that of "clear and unmistakable evidence.
A veteran is entitled to the benefit of the doubt when the evidence is in approximate balance or "nearly equal," and does not require that the evidence be in exact equipoise.
He was not diagnosed with PTSD during service, he was not engaged in combat with the enemy, the claimed stressors were not related to fear of hostile military or terrorist activity, he was not a POW, and the claimed stressors were not based on in-service personal assault.
In assessing the credibility of evidence, the Board may consider any number of factors, to include conflicting statements or evidence, and the potential bias of the declarant.
Given the lack of corroborating objective evidence and the Veteran's medical condition that causes paranoid delusions as well as his inconsistent / varied accounts throughout time, the Board finds his statements lack credibility and, therefore, are afforded minimal probative value.
2006) (if otherwise lay evidence is determined to be mistaken or to lack credibility, with adequate explanation, such statements can be properly rejected as non-probative); McLendon, 20 Vet.
at 84 (indicia of lack of credibility include conflicting statements or untrustworthiness); Caluza v.
The Board finds that a pre-decisional duty to assist error has occurred which must be corrected before a decision may be rendered on the claim.
Authorities Cited
Regulations Cited (38 CFR / 38 USC)
Denial Type
Credibility|No Nexus|Preponderance Against|Duty To Assist
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