The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a chronic adjustment disorder and a chronic lumbar spine disorder. The Veteran is now service connected for a chronic adjustment disorder, but his claim for a chronic lumbar spine disorder remains denied.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found no evidence of a chronic lumbar spine disorder in service or within one year after separation from service, and the weight of the evidence did not establish continuity of symptomatology. The Veteran's STRs only documented treatment for a lumbar strain during service.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic adjustment disorder, chronic lumbar spine disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 25, 2017
- Citation
- 1718338
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 1718338.
What this means for you
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- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected chronic adjustment disorder, residuals of foot injury with inability to flex toes, right knee injury with laxity, and residuals right hand injury including flexion deformities fourth and fifth digits. The Board found that these service-connected conditions caused or aggravated the Veteran's obesity, which in turn caused his sleep apnea.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including other specified trauma and stressor related disorder, chronic adjustment disorder, depressive disorder, PTSD, and anxiety disorders, are etiologically related to service. As such, the claim for service connection is granted.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted an effective date of March 1, 2019 for the award of a total disability rating for compensation based on individual unemployability (TDIU) and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA). The TDIU was awarded due to service-connected disabilities preventing the Veteran from securing or following substantially gainful employment. DEA benefits were granted as part of this decision.
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