The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for major depressive disorder was denied as his symptoms did not meet the criteria for a disability rating of 100 percent.,The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for surgical scars of the back was also denied, as there were no disabling effects not considered in ratings provided under other Diagnostic Codes.
The deciding factor: The Veteran’s symptoms did not cause the level of impairment required for a disability rating of 100 percent.,There are no disabling effects not considered in ratings provided under other Diagnostic Codes for the Veteran's surgical scars.
- Claimed conditions
- Major Depressive Disorder, Scars of the Back, Left Wrist Disability, Right Knee Disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 28, 2020
- Citation
- 20006949
Veterans Law Judge
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 20006949.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities are rated at 10% each, and the Board finds that higher ratings are not warranted based on the evidence of record.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities are not related to his active service, and thus denied both claims for service connection.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right knee disability, finding that there is no evidence to support an etiological relationship between his current condition and his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's major depressive disorder is found to be caused by his service-connected low back and radiculopathy disabilities, which prevent him from doing enjoyable activities and daily living tasks.
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