The Board found no current diagnosis of a back disorder and denied the claim for service connection. For schizophrenia, the Board noted that the veteran's disability picture more nearly approximates total occupational and social impairment with symptoms such as grossly inappropriate behavior, intermittent inability to perform activities of daily living, disorientation to time or place, memory loss, and Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) score of 30. The claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 70 percent for schizophrenia was denied.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not show a current diagnosis of a back disorder, and the preponderance of the evidence supported denial of service connection. For schizophrenia, the Board found that the veteran's disability picture more nearly approximated total occupational and social impairment with symptoms such as grossly inappropriate behavior, intermittent inability to perform activities of daily living, disorientation to time or place, memory loss, and GAF score of 30.
- Claimed conditions
- back disorder, schizophrenia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- April 26, 2005
- Citation
- 0511696
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 0511696.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and providing proper notice regarding secondary service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a back disorder, high blood pressure, and type II diabetes mellitus due to errors in development of the claim.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to service connection for headaches, right hip disorder, left hip disorder, back disorder, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to a failure to provide notice regarding the Veteran's right to a hearing.
- Granted
The Veteran's schizophrenia is rated at 70 percent, indicating significant impairment in work and social functioning.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.