The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for his acquired psychiatric disorder, to include anxiety and depressive disorders, was denied. The Board found that the severity, frequency, and duration of the Veteran’s symptoms did not more closely approximate total occupational and social impairment.,An entitlement to a higher rating for his right shoulder disability is remanded due to new evidence showing increased severity since the last examination in December 2015. Additionally, TDIU was also remanded as employment status information is unclear.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's symptoms did not meet the criteria for a 100% rating under the General Formula for Mental Disorders due to lack of gross impairment in thought processes or communication.
- Claimed conditions
- anxiety disorder, depressive disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 18, 2019
- Citation
- 19129852
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 19129852.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted a disability rating of 50 percent for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, characterized as depressive disorder, effective May 1, 2017.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for depression, PTSD, and an anxiety disorder due to the lack of a current diagnosis.
- Partly granted
The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection for anxiety disorder and denied service connection for hearing loss. The claims for service connection for GERD, right ankle limitations, and sinusitis were remanded for further development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board dismissed the appeal for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability (TDIU) and remanded several issues related to increased ratings for various disabilities.
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