The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disability, including PTSD, depression, and adjustment disorder with anxiety, is denied as there is no current diagnosis of such a condition during the pendency of his appeal. The Board notes that he had mental health complaints in service but did not have a diagnosed psychiatric disability at separation or currently.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for thoracic scoliosis is denied as there is no evidence of a chronic acquired back disability during his second period of active duty, which was found to be due to a congenital defect. The Veteran failed to report for VA examinations scheduled to determine the nature and etiology of any current back disability.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not have a diagnosed psychiatric disability at separation or currently, nor does he have evidence of a chronic acquired back disability during his second period of active duty service.
- Claimed conditions
- Psychiatric Disability (PTSD, Depression, Adjustment Disorder with Anxiety), Thoracic Scoliosis
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 29, 2014
- Citation
- 1404005
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 1404005.
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 claims for increased ratings of thoracic scoliosis and paresthesia of the left mandibular area involving the fifth cranial nerve were denied as there was no evidence to support a higher rating based on functional impairment or other criteria.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for a VA examination to assess the Veteran's thoracic spine disability prior to November 26, 2019, due to inadequate previous examinations. The Veteran is seeking increased ratings for his thoracic spine disability.
- Granted
The Veteran was granted TDIU from April 16, 2013 to December 31, 2014.,TDIU was denied for the period January 1, 2015 to August 7, 2015 due to substantially gainful income.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's low back disability is currently rated at 40 percent, effective December 3, 2019. The Board has remanded the case for further development.
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.