The Board denied the veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for a total rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities and her Substantive Appeal. The veteran was granted a 70% disability rating for major depression, but not before November 21, 1996.
The deciding factor: The RO received the initial claim for service connection for depression on November 21, 1996, which is when the effective date for this condition was established. The veteran's other disabilities did not meet the criteria for a TDIU prior to that date.
- Claimed conditions
- depression, mechanical low back pain, degenerative arthritis (shoulders), peptic ulcer disease with esophageal spasm, bilateral pes planus, valgus with traumatic arthritis of talocalcaneal, talonavicular and calcaneal cuboid joints
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- January 27, 2000
- Citation
- 0002042
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 0002042.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder to ensure a proper examination and etiology opinion are provided.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple conditions, including an acquired psychiatric disorder, sleep apnea, hypertension, and various musculoskeletal and skin disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including back pain, knee and wrist joint pains, neck pain, anxiety, depression, as further development is needed to properly adjudicate these claims.
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