The Board has granted service connection for unspecified depressive disorder and dismissed the appeal of service connection for toxic chemical exposure. The remaining issues have been remanded.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner provided a positive opinion linking the appellant's current unspecified depressive disorder to her in-service stressors, resolving any reasonable doubt in favor of the claimant.
- Claimed conditions
- Unspecified Depressive Disorder, Thoracolumbar Spine Disability, Right Shoulder Disability, Left Shoulder Disability, Fibromyalgia, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Neurological Disability of the Right Lower Extremity (including Neuropathy or Radiculopathy), Neurological Disability of the Left Lower Extremity (including Neuropathy or Radiculopathy), Gastroesophageal Reflux Disorder (GERD), Right Hip Degenerative Disc Disease with Degenerative Joint Disease (DDD with DJD), Left Hip DDD with DJD
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 18, 2024
- Citation
- 24012432
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 24012432.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The claims for service connection for right and left shoulder disabilities are remanded. The claim for sleep disorder (claimed as sleep apnea) remains denied.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an effective date before April 1, 2018 for a 20% rating for left shoulder disability was denied. The appeal also resulted in the assignment of a 20% rating from April 1, 2018 to March 31, 2018, and a TDIU granted from April 1, 2018 to September 3, 2025.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left shoulder disabilities, finding insufficient evidence to establish an in-service event or injury related to his shoulders. The Veteran's current shoulder conditions are not linked to his military service.
- Denied
The Veteran's PTSD, OCD, GAD, and unspecified depressive disorder are rated at 70 percent disabling. The appeal for increased ratings is denied.
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