The veteran's service-connected disabilities (dysthymic disorder, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and irritable bowel syndrome) combine to a rating of 70 percent. The Board finds that the veteran is unemployable due to her service-connected conditions, with the psychiatrist opining it is as likely as not she would be unemployable based on her depression alone.
The deciding factor: The VA psychiatrist's opinion places the weight of the positive and negative evidence in approximate balance regarding whether the veteran's service-connected disabilities have precluded her from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
- Claimed conditions
- dysthymic disorder, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), irritable bowel syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- June 19, 2008
- Citation
- 0820137
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 0820137.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including right shoulder disability, abdominal hernia, GERD, bilateral ankle disabilities, and bilateral foot disabilities. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated during the appellant's period of active duty.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for adhesions as secondary to irritable bowel syndrome, finding that there was no nexus between the claimed condition and service or a service-connected disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied service connection for sinusitis and remanded the Veteran's claims for chronic lower back pain, right knee pain, left knee pain, neck pain, and GERD.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy and denied the claims for right knee disability, erectile dysfunction, GERD, sleep apnea, and hypertension. The decision is remanded for further action on these issues.
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