The Veteran's claim for service connection for depression, secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II with onychomycosis of the bilateral big toenails and erectile dysfunction is remanded. The Board also notes that an earlier effective date prior to August 13, 2012, is not warranted.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's claim for service connection for depression secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II with onychomycosis of the bilateral big toenails and erectile dysfunction requires a new VA examination and opinion due to recent hearing testimony regarding PTSD under DSM-V criteria.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus, type II, onychomycosis of the bilateral big toenails, erectile dysfunction, depression
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 19, 2019
- Citation
- 19173349
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 19173349.
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 claim for an earlier effective date for diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction was denied as the evidence did not show that he had been diagnosed and manifested to at least a 10 percent disability rating on or prior to May 8, 2001.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining in-service psychiatric treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any acquired psychiatric disorder.
- Denied
The Veteran's depression was rated at 50 percent prior to July 1, 2016. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating due to occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity. For TDIU, the Veteran had multiple service-connected disabilities but his education and work experience were sufficient for sedentary or light labor employment.
- Granted
The Veteran's depression was rated at 50 percent prior to September 27, 2017. From September 27, 2017, the rating for depression increased to 70 percent.
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