The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an increased rating for his lumbar strain and service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including depression, as secondary to his service-connected lumbar strain. The evidence did not support the existence of any current acquired psychiatric disorder.
The deciding factor: Competent medical evidence did not confirm the presence of a current acquired psychiatric disorder, such as major depressive disorder, in the Veteran's case. Additionally, there was no competent medical nexus evidence linking his claimed psychiatric disorder to his service-connected lumbar strain.
- Claimed conditions
- Lumbar Strain, Acquired Psychiatric Disorder (Depressive Disorder)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- April 16, 2009
- Citation
- 0914169
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 0914169.
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 Veteran's generalized anxiety disorder, hearing loss, and tinnitus are all granted service connection.,Service connection for GERD is also granted as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected generalized anxiety disorder.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted a TDIU from October 12, 2016 to November 12, 2018 and from January 1, 2019 to July 22, 2019 due to service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following any substantially gainful occupation.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's death was caused by heart failure, which the Board finds may be service-connected through secondary service connection due to obesity resulting from his service-connected PTSD and back disability. However, VA failed to obtain a medical opinion addressing whether obesity is a substantial factor in causing heart failure.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, lumbar strain, and right shoulder strain have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation since October 17, 2018. TDIU is granted effective from that date.
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