The Veteran's major depressive disorder began in service and continues to this day. The Board has granted service connection for this condition. Other conditions, including skin disabilities, diabetes mellitus, eye disabilities, erectile dysfunction, hypertension, bone loss, tinnitus, kidney disability, gallbladder disability, appendix tumor, rectal bleeding, headache disability, nerve damage, and arthritis are remanded for further development.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's major depressive disorder was diagnosed during service and has continued since then. The Board found that the current diagnosis is related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- major depressive disorder, skin disability (spots in right leg and right shoulder, swollen hands and feet, bacteria on feet and discoloration), left arm skin rash, type II diabetes mellitus, eye disability (retinopathy, dry eye syndrome, cataracts, lattice degeneration of the retina), erectile dysfunction, hypertension, bone loss in face and skull, tinnitus, left kidney disability, gallbladder disability, appendix tumor, rectal bleeding, headache disability, right leg nerve damage, left leg disability, sinusitis, multi-site arthritis (rheumatoid arthritis)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 22, 2021
- Citation
- 21065000
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 21065000.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for asthma and remanded claims for insomnia and sleep apnea. Other conditions were denied.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for headaches and increased ratings for left shoulder rotator cuff tear, right shoulder rotator cuff tear, hypertension, and left and right leg restless leg syndrome. The Board denied a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
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