The Board found that the Veteran's current psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as major depressive disorder with anxiety, did not have its clinical onset during service or until several years thereafter. As a result of the Veteran's failure to report for VA examination as directed in the Board's January 2013 remand, there is no competent medical evidence showing any causal relationship between his military service and his current psychiatric condition.
The deciding factor: The Veteran failed to appear for scheduled VA examinations without good cause, resulting in a lack of necessary medical evidence to support his claim.
- Claimed conditions
- major depressive disorder with anxiety
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 16, 2014
- Citation
- 1402465
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 1402465.
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 claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for his major depressive disorder with anxiety was denied. His claim for TDIU based on service-connected acquired psychiatric disability was granted, but subject to regulations governing the payment of monetary awards.
- Granted
The Veteran's fibromyalgia is granted a maximum schedular rating of 40 percent, and she is also granted entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to her service-connected conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal to revise an August 2019 rating decision that denied service connection for a psychiatric disorder, finding no clear and unmistakable error (CUE). However, it granted service connection for major depressive disorder with anxiety as secondary to fibromyalgia.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of October 8, 1993, for the Veteran's service connected acquired psychiatric disorder.
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.