The Board has granted service connection for a mood disorder secondary to the veteran's service-connected back disability. However, it denied an increased rating for his service-connected degenerative joint disease of the lumbosacral strain as there was no evidence showing that the condition had worsened beyond what is contemplated by the current 40 percent evaluation.
The deciding factor: The veteran failed to report for a VA examination scheduled to evaluate his service-connected back disability, which prevented the Board from assessing whether his mental disorder was related to his service-connected back disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Mood Disorder, Degenerative Joint Disease, Lumbosacral Strain
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- June 17, 2005
- Citation
- 0516622
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 0516622.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for PTSD and mood disorders, effective from February 7, 2012. The Veteran's claim was ongoing until the RO granted service connection for PTSD in July 2020.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that new and relevant evidence has been received in relation to the claim on appeal, warranting readjudication of the issue. The Veteran's ED is claimed as secondary to his service-connected mood disorder including side effects of medications taken for his mood disorder.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found new and relevant evidence to readjudicate the claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, depression/major depressive disorder, mood disorder, anxiety/generalized anxiety disorder, and adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed moods. The case is remanded for further consideration.
- Denied
The Veteran's PTSD, mood disorder, anxiety disorder, with obsessive compulsive disorder, dissociative identity disorder, bipolar disorder and chronic depression was manifested by symptomatology that more nearly approximated total occupational and social impairment for the period from June 28, 2008, to July 10, 2016. For the period from July 11, 2016, the Veteran's service-connected PTSD, mood disorder, anxiety disorder, with obsessive compulsive disorder, dissociative identity disorder, bipolar disorder and chronic depression was manifested by symptomatology resulting in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.
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