The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depressive disorder, was denied. The Board found that there is no credible supporting evidence of a personal assault during service.,A rating of 40 percent for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine with facet arthritis from August 21, 2015 to October 28, 2020 was granted.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's psychiatric disorders are not linked to a personal assault in service and are more likely due to his history of substance use and childhood abuse.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and depressive disorder), Degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine with facet arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- February 9, 2021
- Citation
- 21007515
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 21007515.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's hypertension is granted a 20% rating from March 23, 2023. The Board finds reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran's hypertension warranting this increased rating.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and depressive disorder) is granted.
- Granted
Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD and depressive disorder is granted. A rating higher than 10 percent for GERD and hiatal hernia from June 24, 2014 to February 17, 2019 is denied. An extension of the temporary total evaluation beyond the period from February 18, 2019 to April 30, 2019 for surgical or other treatment necessitating convalescence for a hiatal hernia disorder is denied. A rating higher than 10 percent for GERD and hiatal hernia from May 1, 2019 to the present is denied.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and a vision disability, finding that there is no evidence to support these claims. The decision also notes that further development may be needed before the issues can be fully adjudicated.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depressive disorder, was granted. The claims for prostate cancer, hypothyroidism, diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, hypertension, right eye residuals of pterygium, left eye residuals of pterygium, bilateral hip disorder, bilateral ankle disorder, and abdominal pain were all remanded.
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