The Veteran's initial rating for residuals of mild TBI prior to October 19, 2017 is denied. The Veteran was granted a TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities as of October 19, 2017. Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability is denied.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not show that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric conditions were caused by or due to his active duty military service and they are not secondary to his service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Residuals of mild traumatic brain injury (TBI), Acquired psychiatric disability, to include major depressive disorder and anxiety disorder not otherwise specified
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- December 29, 2020
- Citation
- 20081303
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 50 percent for her acquired psychiatric disability, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, as the evidence did not support a finding that his current mental health conditions were related to his active duty service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for a disability rating in excess of 50 percent for an acquired psychiatric disability, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for a psychiatric disability to provide the Veteran with a VA examination.
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