The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including schizophrenia, is granted as service-connected. The claim for radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities is reopened due to new evidence. The rating for lumbosacral strain remains at 40 percent.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the evidence was at least in equipoise regarding whether the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including schizophrenia, had its onset during service or is otherwise related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired Psychiatric Disorder (Schizophrenia), Radiculopathy of the Right and Left Lower Extremities
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- April 7, 2020
- Citation
- 20023649
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 20023649.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for his psychiatric disability prior to June 1, 2021 is granted. The claim for a TDIU for the period on appeal prior to June 1, 2021 is also granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, but has remanded them for further development and examination.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for PTSD and an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include schizophrenia, as there was no evidence of a current disability or a link between the claimed conditions and service.
- Granted
The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as schizophrenia, had its onset in military service. The Board found new and material evidence to reopen his claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including statements from the Veteran about in-service stressors and treatment records indicating a diagnosis of PTSD related to Hurricanes Ivan and Katrina.
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