The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to December 7, 2010 for service connection of somatic symptom disorder with secondary polysubstance use disorder was denied. The Veteran's claim for a higher initial rating for his service-connected psychiatric disability was granted at 70%. The Board has remanded the issue of entitlement to a total rating for compensation purposes based on individual unemployability due to service connected disabilities (TDIU).
The deciding factor: The effective date for the award of service connection was determined to be February 2, 2019, as this is when the Veteran's claim arose. The initial rating for the service-connected psychiatric disability was granted at 70%.
- Claimed conditions
- somatic symptom disorder, polysubstance use disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- August 5, 2024
- Citation
- A24043723
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 A24043723.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for left foot plantar fasciitis and remanded the claims of anxiety disorder, persistent depressive disorder, and somatic symptom disorder.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for somatic symptom disorder and migraines, both found to be secondary to the Veteran's service-connected tinnitus.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection of somatic symptom disorder. The effective date for the grant of service connection for sleep apnea (OSA) was set at February 4, 2020, and a rating in excess of 50 percent for OSA is denied.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (including insomnia disorder, anxiety, and somatic symptom disorder) and bruxism. The evidence did not support a finding of direct or secondary service connection.
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