The Veteran's claim for an increased rating in excess of 70 percent for his service-connected Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) was denied. The Board found that the Veteran’s symptoms, while significant, did not meet the criteria for a higher rating as they were consistent with a 70 percent disability rating.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's symptoms, including near continuous panic attacks and difficulty adapting to stressful circumstances, aligned with the criteria for a 70 percent disability rating but did not reach the level of total occupational and social impairment required for a higher rating.
- Claimed conditions
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- May 4, 2020
- Citation
- 20030945
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 20030945.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
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 failure to obtain records from Holly Hill Hospital. The Veteran was previously denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including GAD.
- Denied
The Veteran's initial rating for service-connected GAD was denied, as his symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating.
- Granted
The Veteran's GAD with PDD resulted in occupational and social impairment, warranting an initial rating of 70 percent.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including GAD, MDD, bruxism, migraines/headaches, tinnitus, hip pain, iliotibial band syndrome, and leg stress fractures. The evidence does not support current diagnoses of these conditions during the appeal period.
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