The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including recurrent major depression and unspecified anxiety disorder, is found to be secondary to his service-connected thoracic spine disability.,His left foot and left great toe disabilities are also found to be secondary to his service-connected thoracic spine disability.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including recurrent major depression and unspecified anxiety disorder, is found to be secondary to his service-connected thoracic spine disability due to the consistent relationship between his mental health issues and his ongoing pain from his thoracic spine condition.,His left foot and left great toe disabilities are also found to be secondary to his service-connected thoracic spine disability as a result of gait pattern changes caused by his thoracic spine disability, leading to increased stresses on these areas.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired Psychiatric Disability, Left Foot Disability, Left Great Toe Disability
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 28, 2023
- Citation
- 23024684
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 23024684.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for the claimed conditions as there is no persuasive evidence of current diagnoses or in-service incurrence or aggravation.
- Granted
The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability is rated at 100 percent, and he is granted SMC based on housebound status. The issue of entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is dismissed as moot due to the grant of a 100 percent schedular rating for his service-connected acquired psychiatric disability.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to her military service and not a pre-existing condition. The decision also acknowledges that her service-connected disabilities may have contributed to her current mental health issues.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's service connection claims for erectile dysfunction and voiding dysfunction have been denied due to the lack of evidence linking these conditions to his in-service exposure.,The remaining service connection claims (for bilateral feet, ankles, hip, wrist, cervical spine, upper extremity radiculopathy, psychiatric disorder, GERD, sleep apnea, and hypertension) are remanded for further development.
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