The Veteran's anxiety disorder is rated at 50 percent, but the Board finds that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating due to occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity. The other conditions are not service-connected.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's anxiety disorder does not meet the criteria for a higher rating as his symptoms do not more nearly approximate those of occupational and social impairment, with deficiencies in most areas such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood.
- Claimed conditions
- Anxiety Disorder, Sarcoidosis with restrictive lung disease, Myalgias and arthralgias (claimed as muscle pain, joint pain, and poor circulation in legs), Headaches, Fatigue, Sleep difficulties, Benign complex renal cyst (claimed as lump on right kidney), Recurrent strain and degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 7, 2010
- Citation
- 1020757
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 1020757.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's initial ratings for anxiety disorder and TBI were denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
- Denied
The Board denied eligibility to attorney fees based on past-due benefits awarded in a March 2024 rating decision because the March 2024 rating decision was an initial decision granting service connection for anxiety disorder.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for initial compensable ratings for obstructive sleep apnea and headaches, finding that the evidence does not support a finding of persistent daytime hypersomnolence or other manifestations consistent with a compensable disability rating under the criteria established by Diagnostic Codes. The matter is remanded to obtain additional information from the Veteran regarding his headaches and their impact on his daily life.
- Granted
The Veteran's OSA is granted as secondary to PTSD, but his headaches are denied due to lack of service connection.
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