The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the rating of 40 percent for TBI with anxiety disorder is denied. The Board found that no earlier effective date was warranted as the first showing of the need for a combined rating was on the VA TBI examination conducted May 10, 2017.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not show that the Veteran's TBI met the criteria for a 40 percent rating in the one-year period preceding receipt of his claim.
- Claimed conditions
- TBI with anxiety disorder, left knee patellofemoral syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- November 7, 2023
- Citation
- A23031218
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 A23031218.
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 service connection of a left knee disability, finding that it is not proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected back and sciatica disabilities. The evidence did not support a nexus between the Veteran's current condition and his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment, leading to a TDIU rating.
- Granted
The Veteran's hypertension, left knee patellofemoral syndrome, and right knee patellofemoral syndrome have been granted service connection as secondary to his service-connected disabilities. The lumbar spine disability has also been granted but the effective date is not specified.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development to address the severity and functional impact of his knee and ankle disabilities.
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