The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of individual unemployability was granted, with the effective date set at June 11, 1998, based on her informal claim to reopen her previously denied service connection claim for a psychiatric disability.
The deciding factor: The RO found that the veteran had been disabled from 1995 to 1998 due to severe psychosis and had filed an earlier claim in November 1989. The effective date was set at June 11, 1998, which is when she submitted her letter seeking to reopen her previously denied service connection claim.
- Claimed conditions
- schizoaffective disorder, depressed, anxiety disorder not otherwise specified
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 20, 2006
- Citation
- 0639620
Veterans Law Judge
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 0639620.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including persistent depressive disorder and anxiety disorder not otherwise specified, are found to be related to his service. His alcohol use disorder and cannabis use disorder are also found to be secondary to these conditions. The Veteran's PTSD claim is denied due to lack of verified in-service stressor. Bilateral hearing loss and gastroesophageal reflux disease claims are also denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the case to arrange a VA examination and obtain an opinion addressing the likely etiology of any current psychiatric disorder, including anxiety disorder not otherwise specified.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for a psychiatric disability, diagnosed as mood disorder due to a general medical condition and unspecified anxiety disorder, which was found to be secondary to the Veteran's service-connected hepatitis C. The issues related to compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for ventral hernia repair with mesh and for hypertension, nausea and vomiting, blurred vision, and renal failure were remanded.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety disorder not otherwise specified, is granted. The claim for PTSD is dismissed as moot.
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