The Board finds that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disabilities, including GAD and Depressive Disorder NOS, are related to his service-connected traumatic brain injury (TBI). The heart murmur noted at service separation is not considered a disability for VA compensation purposes. Cold sores have been diagnosed since service and are attributed to herpes simplex type 1. Service connection has been established for psoriasis, but no service connection has been granted for psoriatic arthritis.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disabilities, including GAD and Depressive Disorder NOS, are found to be secondary to his service-connected TBI.
- Claimed conditions
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Depressive Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (NOS), Heart murmur, Cold sores/herpes, Peripheral vestibular disorder, Psoriasis, Cervical spine disorder, Bilateral knee disorder, Joint pain in the hips, knees, elbows, fingers, toes, neck, and spine (claimed as due to Gulf War illness), Muscle pain in the neck and upper and lower back (claimed as due to Gulf War illness), Chronic fatigue syndrome, Respiratory disorder (claimed as due to Gulf War illness), Sleep disturbances (claimed as due to Gulf War illness)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 60%
- Decision date
- April 1, 2016
- Citation
- 1613385
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 1613385.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
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 Veteran's claims for service connection for a cervical spine disorder and psychiatric disorder due to incomplete information. The Veteran needs to provide his complete service personnel records, verify his alleged combat experience in Vietnam, and undergo VA examinations for both conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to failure to obtain records from Holly Hill Hospital. The Veteran was previously denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including GAD.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a cervical spine disorder, finding that there was no evidence of a causal relationship between his current condition and his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's GAD with PDD resulted in occupational and social impairment, warranting an initial rating of 70 percent.
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