The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and traumatic brain injury were denied. The Board found that the pre-existing conditions did not meet the clear and unmistakable evidence standard, and there was no aggravation of these conditions during service.
The deciding factor: There is clear and unmistakable evidence that the Veteran’s preexisting psychiatric disorders and TBI did not increase in severity beyond their natural progression during service.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired Psychiatric Disorder (including Adjustment Disorder and Depression), Traumatic Brain Injury
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 20, 2019
- Citation
- 19138941
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,677 · 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 19138941.
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 Veteran's initial ratings for anxiety disorder and TBI were denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal for an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for service-connected traumatic brain injury is being remanded due to a procedural error.
- Granted
The Board granted entitlement to SMC under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(t) effective January 21, 2019, based on the appellant's need for regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected TBI.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for TBI is denied. The appeal for entitlement to TDIU is dismissed as moot.
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