The Board dismissed all claims for increased ratings and denied service connection for dental trauma. The Veteran's major depressive disorder was granted as secondary to his service-connected disabilities, leading to a TDIU determination.
The deciding factor: Major depressive disorder is found to be secondary to the Veteran’s service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative arthritis of the spine, residuals of an injury of the right fifth finger, rupture of the right Achilles tendon, sinusitis, degenerative joint disease of the right knee, painful and limited extension of the right knee, post-operative scar of the right knee associated with degenerative joint disease of the right knee, peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity, peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 1, 2020
- Citation
- 20022474
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 20022474.
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A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot.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 claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found a pre-decisional duty to assist error and has ordered the case back to the AOJ for proper notice regarding the Veteran's right to a hearing.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's initial claim for an increased rating for sinusitis is being remanded due to a failure by the AOJ to provide proper notice of his right to a hearing.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied service connection for sinusitis and remanded the Veteran's claims for chronic lower back pain, right knee pain, left knee pain, neck pain, and GERD.
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