The Veteran's claim for service connection for depression was denied as he does not have a current diagnosis of depression.,Service connection for the neck disorder was also denied because there is no evidence linking it to his military service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not provide sufficient medical evidence to support his claims, and the VA examiner found that any current conditions are more likely related to post-service occupations or obesity rather than service.,There were no noted symptoms of arthritis in the Veteran's STRs, and the VA examiner concluded that it is less likely than not that the condition was incurred during service.
- Claimed conditions
- depression, neck disorder, arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 10, 2020
- Citation
- 20002426
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the appeal to obtain a VA medical opinion that considers the Veteran's contentions of in-service training with heavy gear and equipment.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder to ensure a proper examination and etiology opinion are provided.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including back pain, knee and wrist joint pains, neck pain, anxiety, depression, as further development is needed to properly adjudicate these claims.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for generalized anxiety disorder and denied service connection for a lower back disorder. The claims for depression, substance abuse disorder, and a compensable initial rating for bilateral hearing loss were dismissed.
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