The Veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection of depression associated with lumbar strain was granted. His gastritis, claimed as stomach condition and reflux associated with lumbar strain, is now rated at 40% from May 21, 2014, and the earlier effective date for this rating is being remanded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran submitted new evidence showing his depression was related to service-connected conditions, which reopened his claim. His gastritis has been shown to have severe symptoms since May 21, 2014, warranting a higher rating.
- Claimed conditions
- depression, gastritis (claimed as stomach condition and reflux), lumbar strain
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- October 5, 2018
- Citation
- 18140730
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 18140730.
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 case for additional development, including obtaining in-service psychiatric treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any acquired psychiatric disorder.
- Denied
The Veteran's depression was rated at 50 percent prior to July 1, 2016. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating due to occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity. For TDIU, the Veteran had multiple service-connected disabilities but his education and work experience were sufficient for sedentary or light labor employment.
- Granted
The Veteran's depression was rated at 50 percent prior to September 27, 2017. From September 27, 2017, the rating for depression increased to 70 percent.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals were dismissed due to the death of the appellant. The issues related to service connection for various conditions and disability ratings.
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