The Board found that the Veteran's schizoaffective disorder was not noted at entry to service, and thus the presumption of soundness attaches. The evidence clearly and unmistakably established that the Veteran suffered from schizoaffective disorder as an adolescent prior to service. However, the Board concluded that there is no clear and unmistakable evidence to rebut this presumption, and therefore, the Veteran's claim for service connection was denied.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that the Veteran had a pre-existing condition of schizoaffective disorder which was not aggravated by service as there was no increase in severity during service. The earliest medical records indicating treatment were from 1982, after separation from service.
- Claimed conditions
- schizoaffective disorder, anxiety disorder, NOS
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 10, 2010
- Citation
- 1034140
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 1034140.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining in-service psychiatric treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any acquired psychiatric disorder.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, schizoaffective disorder, and neurocognitive disorder is remanded due to a failure to provide a VA examination addressing whether the pre-existing psychiatric disorder was aggravated during service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The Social Security Administration records need to be obtained and reviewed.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's initial rating of 50% for schizoaffective disorder is increased to 70% from June 22, 2009 to April 30, 2010 and from July 1, 2010 to August 18, 2020. A temporary total disability rating of 100% for hospital treatment due to schizoaffective disorder is granted from March 1, 2010 to June 30, 2010. The Veteran's entitlement to TDIU prior to August 18, 2020 is also granted.
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