The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and a colon disability, finding that the preponderance of evidence did not support these claims. The claim for special monthly pension was also denied as there were no findings of permanent housebound status or additional disabilities independently ratable at 60% or more.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder and colon disability are not related to service, and thus cannot be granted on a direct basis. The evidence did not support the need for aid and attendance or permanent housebound status required for special monthly pension.
- Claimed conditions
- acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, alcohol abuse, and substance abuse), colon disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 5, 2021
- Citation
- 21061958
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,549 · Granted: 29% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 21061958.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been dismissed. The Board has also remanded the case to obtain VA examinations and opinions regarding the etiology of his claimed disabilities.
- Granted
The Veteran's prostate cancer is presumed to be related to his in-service exposure to herbicide agents. The Board has granted service connection for prostate cancer, but the issue of service connection for a colon disability remains pending and requires further development.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for colon and bowel disabilities, finding that there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service or any service-connected condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for colon and bowel disabilities to obtain a medical opinion addressing whether these conditions are related to the Veteran's service-connected Hodgkin's lymphoma, including chemotherapy and radiation treatments.
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