The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a service-connected psychiatric disorder, heart murmur, right knee disability, left knee disability, low back disability, right ankle disability, or left ankle disability. The preponderance of evidence is against finding any relationship between these conditions and service.
The deciding factor: The VA examination found no nexus between the Veteran's current major depressive disorder and service, attributing it to unresolved trauma from early childhood, family deaths, unemployment, and financial debt. At separation in October 1990, the Veteran had a normal psychiatric clinical evaluation and denied experiencing depression.
- Claimed conditions
- Major Depressive Disorder, Heart Murmur, Right Knee Disability, Left Knee Disability, Low Back Disability, Right Ankle Disability, Left Ankle Disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 5, 2018
- Citation
- 1800789
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 1800789.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, left knee disability, and right knee disability. The claims for urinary frequency disability and residuals of a cholecystectomy were denied.
- Granted
The Veteran was granted a disability rating of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder, effective October 24, 2017. The Board also granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various disabilities and denied higher ratings for several service-connected conditions.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a psychiatric disability, diagnosed as major depressive disorder and adjustment disorder with depressed mood, based on the Veteran's reported symptoms during and since service.
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