The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder has been reopened and granted. The Veteran is also granted initial ratings of 10 percent for shin splints of the right leg, left leg, folliculitis of the bilateral arms, otitis externa of the left ear, and blepharitis of the left eye.
The deciding factor: The new evidence received since the July 2010 decision established that the Veteran's depressive disorder had its onset in service. The VA examiner found no medical nexus between his current respiratory symptoms and service, but noted a possible connection to undiagnosed illness or medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness due to his Southwest Asia service.
- Claimed conditions
- Depressive Disorder, Respiratory Disorder (Asthma), Shin Splints of the Right Leg, Shin Splints of the Left Leg, Hyperthyroidism (Hypothyroidism), Folliculitis of the Bilateral Arms, Otitis Externa of the Left Ear, Blepharitis of the Left Eye, Right Elbow Lateral Epicondylitis, Left Elbow Lateral Epicondylitis
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 10, 2019
- Citation
- 19102154
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 3,217 · Granted: 46% (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 19102154.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection for PTSD has been dismissed as the claim was granted and effective from February 22, 2023.
- Granted
The Veteran's psychiatric disorder, specifically depressive disorder, is rated at 70 percent effective from August 3, 2021. The claim for a higher rating remains denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's service-connected Depressive Disorder is causing him to require regular assistance in keeping himself clean and presentable, which may qualify him for special monthly compensation based on need for aid and attendance. The case is being remanded to schedule a VA examination to assess this issue.
- Granted
The Veteran's depressive disorder is rated at 70 percent, effective from the date of service connection (January 23, 2020), due to occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.
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