The Veteran's claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder, secondary to his service-connected low back disability, was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of a current psychiatric disability and concluded that the Veteran presented with malingering. For TDIU, the Veteran's combined rating of 50% did not meet the criteria for total disability based on individual unemployability.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinions indicated that the Veteran presented with malingering, which prevented a determination of whether he had an acquired psychiatric disorder. The Board also found that his service-connected low back disability alone did not render him unable to secure or follow gainful employment.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired psychiatric disorder, Major depressive disorder
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- March 7, 2019
- Citation
- A19000177
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 880 · Granted: 26% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 A19000177.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability and an increased rating for his acquired psychiatric disorder. The Board found that there was no evidence linking the current disabilities to military service.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected major depressive disorder does not render him in need of regular aid and attendance or confined to his home, thus SMC based on housebound status and/or need for regular aid and attendance is denied.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) at the (o) rate and SMC at the (r)(2) rate, effective January 19, 2025. The decision finds that the Veteran's service-connected conditions warrant these awards due to his need for aid and attendance.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including major depressive disorder, as secondary to his already service-connected hearing loss and tinnitus.
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