The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back condition and MDD, finding no evidence of a current disability related to service. The Board also remanded the issues regarding PTSD and anxiety disorder for further development.,The Veteran was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder in 2017 but did not meet DSM-5 criteria at that time. A new examination is needed to determine if his anxiety disorder is related to his reported in-service trauma.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran's low back condition or MDD are related to service.,A recent diagnosis of an anxiety disorder contradicts previous VA examinations, and further examination is needed to determine if it is related to in-service trauma.
- Claimed conditions
- Low Back Condition (claimed as a mid-back condition), Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- October 31, 2019
- Citation
- 19182541
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,913 · Granted: 30% (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 19182541.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including GAD, MDD, bruxism, migraines/headaches, tinnitus, hip pain, iliotibial band syndrome, and leg stress fractures. The evidence does not support current diagnoses of these conditions during the appeal period.
- Granted
The Veteran's Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is found to have begun during their active duty service and continues to this day, meeting the criteria for service connection.
- Denied
The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder with TBI is rated at 70 percent, but the appeal for a higher rating is denied.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for her service-connected MDD with PTSD was denied. The evidence did not show total occupational and social impairment, despite the Veteran maintaining full-time employment.
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