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Whole decision: Denied

The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for service connection and higher ratings for his psychiatric disability was denied. The Board also found that the Veteran's hearing loss should be re-evaluated to assess its impact on employment.

The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a finding of new and material evidence or clear and unmistakable error in the prior denial, and the effective date could only be as early as September 6, 2006. The Veteran's psychiatric disability was found to have been service-connected based on direct evidence.

Claimed conditions
Obsessive compulsive disorder with dysphoric mood
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating
Not verified here — check the original decision
Decision date
October 13, 2011
Citation
1138194

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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1138194.

What this means for you

A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.

What you can do next

Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).

Related decisions

Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.

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