The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, claimed as depression, was not shown in service or for many years thereafter, and is not otherwise related to active duty service. The Board concludes that the preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding of service connection.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner opined that the Veteran’s psychiatric disorder was not related to service and/or a service-connected disability, including as secondary to his seizure disorder.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as depression)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- December 6, 2019
- Citation
- 19191854
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,948 · Granted: 29% (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 19191854.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, specifically depression, is denied. The Board finds no evidence of a diagnosed mental health disability during active or inactive service and thus cannot establish service connection. Service connection for hypertension is remanded due to the inadequacy of the March 2021 VA examination opinion.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a left knee condition, and a left hip condition. The evidence did not support current diagnoses of these conditions.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the issues of service connection for a cervical spine disability and an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as depression) due to the April 2021 rating decision not adjudicating these claims, and subsequent grant by a June 2021 rating decision. The evidence does not support a current diagnosis of a mental disorder.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for depression secondary to service-connected tinnitus is being remanded due to the AOJ relying almost solely on the VA examination, which was criticized for not considering the veracity of the notations in the Veteran's Santa Rosa Counseling records. A new VA examination and opinion are required.
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