The Board has granted a 30 percent disability rating for the veteran's service-connected depressive disorder and assigned a 20 percent disability rating for his low back strain with degenerative disc disease, effective from December 6, 2005.
The deciding factor: The evidence showed that the veteran's symptoms of depression and anxiety were manifested by poor sleep, social isolation, and rumination about lost friends. His GAF score was 70, indicating some mild symptoms. For his low back strain, the most recent VA examination revealed flexion to 65 degrees with pain beginning at 55 degrees, extension to 30 degrees, lateral flexion to 30 degrees, and rotation to 30 degrees, bilaterally.
- Claimed conditions
- Depressive Disorder, Low Back Strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- September 25, 2006
- Citation
- 0630180
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 0630180.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an initial increased rating of 50 percent for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability from March 8, 2010, to May 19, 2014, and denied a higher rating thereafter.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder of generalized anxiety disorder and depressive disorder, as secondary to the service-connected left ankle disability. Service connection was also granted for pseudofolliculitis barbae, and a 20 percent rating was assigned for left ankle achilles tendonitis from October 23, 2023.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include GAD and depressive disorder, as well as a cervical spine disability, right wrist pain, and left wrist pain. However, the claims for lumbar spine pain were denied.
- Denied
The Board denied a disability rating in excess of 50 percent and 70 percent for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, depressive disorder, trauma and stressor related disorder, personality disorder, alcohol use disorder, and cannabis use disorder.
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