The Veteran's claim for service connection for DDD of the cervical spine was denied due to lack of new and material evidence. The Board found that the submitted medical records were not new and material as they did not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, specifically Adjustment Disorder with Depressed Mood, is granted as secondary to service-connected conditions.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of evidence does not support a direct nexus between the Veteran's current psychiatric condition and his in-service trauma. The adjustment disorder was found to be related to multiple service-connected medical conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Arthritis (DDD) of the cervical spine, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Acquired Psychiatric Disorder, specifically Adjustment Disorder with Depressed Mood
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 10, 2019
- Citation
- 19136686
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,350 · Granted: 26% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 19136686.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
- Denied
The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50% since March 23, 2004. The Board found that a higher rating is not warranted prior to February 15, 2005 due to the severity of his symptoms and their impact on his social and occupational functioning.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and any acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current mental health conditions and his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 70% disability rating. The Veteran also met the criteria for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
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