The veteran's claim for an effective date prior to September 20, 2004 for the grant of service connection for a mood disorder and panic disorder with agoraphobia was denied.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of the evidence is against the veteran's claim as the initial claims were denied in unappealed rating decisions from May 1997 and May 2003, and no new and material evidence was received prior to September 20, 2004.
- Claimed conditions
- mood disorder, not otherwise specified, panic disorder with agoraphobia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 27, 2009
- Citation
- 0902811
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,464 · Granted: 14% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
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 0902811.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's TDIU and combined disability ratings have satisfied the criteria for special monthly compensation based on statutory housebound status since September 18, 2018.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of VA examination for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety and substance abuse disorders.
- Denied
The Board denied an increased rating for major depressive disorder and panic disorder with agoraphobia, finding that the Veteran's symptoms did not meet the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 50 percent.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for panic disorder with agoraphobia and generalized anxiety disorder, finding that the Veteran's mental disorder began during his active service and is caused by in-service events.
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.