The appeal pertaining to the issue of entitlement to service connection for depression is dismissed. The Veteran's back disorder, diagnosed as lumbar intervertebral disc displacement, lumbar stenosis, spinal instabilities, low back pain, lumbar radiculopathy, and multilevel disc degeneration, is related to his military service. The appeal pertaining to the initial rating in excess of 30 percent prior to February 6, 2019, and in excess of 70 percent thereafter for PTSD is remanded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's back disorder was related to his military service due to an in-service injury. The appeal pertaining to the initial rating in excess of 30 percent prior to February 6, 2019, and in excess of 70 percent thereafter for PTSD is remanded as the severity of his symptoms may have worsened.
- Claimed conditions
- depression, back disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 17, 2020
- Citation
- 20019751
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 20019751.
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A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot.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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and providing proper notice regarding secondary service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining in-service psychiatric treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any acquired psychiatric disorder.
- Denied
The Veteran's depression was rated at 50 percent prior to July 1, 2016. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating due to occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity. For TDIU, the Veteran had multiple service-connected disabilities but his education and work experience were sufficient for sedentary or light labor employment.
- Granted
The Veteran's depression was rated at 50 percent prior to September 27, 2017. From September 27, 2017, the rating for depression increased to 70 percent.
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