The Veteran's initial rating for service-connected psychiatric conditions has been granted at a 70 percent level, effective from the date of the September 2021 Higher-Level Review decision. The issue of TDIU remains pending and is being remanded.
The deciding factor: The evidence supports occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas due to symptoms such as flattened affect, impaired judgment, disturbances of motivation and mood, difficulty establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships, and neglect of personal appearance and hygiene.
- Claimed conditions
- Adjustment Disorder with Mixed Anxiety and Chronic Depressed Mood, Somatic Symptom Disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- September 3, 2024
- Citation
- A24051706
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 A24051706.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his service-connected hypertension and somatic symptom disorder are denied. The Board has remanded the claims for cardiovascular, peripheral artery disease, and lung cancer with emphysema.
- Granted
The Veteran's claims for service connection for somatic symptom disorder with PTSD and right shoulder strain were granted, but the effective dates are set to December 26, 2019, based on new evidence submitted after a previous final decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error and needs additional information from a VA examiner regarding the Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disabilities, including specific phobia of natural environment.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's appeal, finding that reducing his PTSD rating from 50% to 30% was improper and that severing service connection for vertigo and combining it with tinnitus ratings were also improper.
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