The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date of the increased rating for his service-connected psychiatric disability is dismissed because the December 2018 claim was redundant and should not have been accepted by the Board.
The deciding factor: The AOJ improperly accepted a redundant claim for an increased rating while the Veteran’s prior appeal was pending, leading to a docketing error in the January 2020 Notice of Disagreement.
- Claimed conditions
- adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood, insomnia disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- November 20, 2020
- Citation
- A20017305
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 A20017305.
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood, along with alcohol use disorder, has been granted a 100% evaluation effective from April 8, 2021. The disability causes total occupational and social impairment.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for an insomnia disorder as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability.
- Granted
The Veteran's adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood is rated at 70 percent from October 31, 2023. Service connection for IBS and obstructive sleep apnea are granted as secondary to his service-connected disabilities.
- Granted
The Board has restored the 10 percent disability rating for an adjustment disorder and the 20 percent disability rating for a back condition, effective June 1, 2025. The Veteran's claims of increased ratings are remanded.
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