The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder was not incurred by service nor caused or aggravated by his service-connected low back disability. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the schedular requirements for TDIU.
The deciding factor: VA opinions were obtained and they found no evidence of a nexus between the Veteran's service and his acquired psychiatric disorder, and concluded that it was less likely than not caused or aggravated by his service-connected low back disability. The VA examiner also stated that the Veteran functioned fairly well after service and did not have serious psychological problems prior to his 1995 accident.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired psychiatric disorder, Low back disability, Bilateral knee disabilities, Bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, Residuals of a right little finger injury
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 60%
- Decision date
- January 17, 2018
- Citation
- 1803138
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 1803138.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding a causal relationship between the condition and an in-service incident of military sexual trauma (MST).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a low back disability, residuals of a right foot injury, sinusitis, shortness of breath, allergic rhinitis, and sleep apnea as there was no evidence to support a link between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for varicose veins in the bilateral lower extremities and dismissed the appeal for an acquired psychiatric disorder due to untimely notice of disagreement. The lumbar spine disability claim was remanded for further development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter for further development, including obtaining updated treatment records and addendum medical opinions to clarify the effects of flareups and repeated use over time.
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