The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
The deciding factor: VA medical examiners found that the Veteran is capable of performing sedentary to light work, and his mental disability does not prevent him from any form of gainful employment.
- Claimed conditions
- Low Back Condition, Unspecified Depressive Disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- February 2, 2018
- Citation
- 1807132
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 1807132.
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 PTSD, OCD, GAD, and unspecified depressive disorder are rated at 70 percent disabling. The appeal for increased ratings is denied.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depressive disorder, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are at least as likely as not attributable to his active duty service.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected mental disorders are granted a disability rating of 70 percent, but no higher.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, unspecified depressive disorder, alcohol use disorder, and cocaine use disorder due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
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