The Board granted an earlier effective date of August 25, 2015, for the award of service connection for schizophrenia, unspecified with cocaine use disorder and dismissed the claim for an earlier effective date prior to May 1, 2018, for the award of service connection for lumbosacral strain.
The deciding factor: The Board found that a VA Form 9 was submitted on October 26, 2016, which established entitlement to an earlier effective date for schizophrenia, unspecified with cocaine use disorder. However, the Veteran did not continuously pursue the issue of an earlier effective date for lumbosacral strain within one year of the April 2020 rating decision.
- Claimed conditions
- schizophrenia, unspecified with cocaine use disorder, lumbosacral strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- October 18, 2024
- Citation
- A24066980
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for lumbosacral strain, finding that the Veteran's low back injury occurred during a period of active duty for training (ADT) and continued therefrom.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 20 percent rating for right leg sciatica with radiculopathy pain and paresthesia, but denied increased ratings for PTSD, lumbosacral strain, left wrist limitation of motion with ganglion cyst, and service connection for headaches, unspecified. Several issues were remanded.
- Dismissed
The appeals for restoration of ratings and for a higher disability rating were dismissed as the April 2025 rating decision did not make final decisions on these issues.
- Partly granted
The Board denied a disability rating greater than 10 percent for tinnitus and a rating greater than 20 percent for lumbosacral strain, but granted a 20 percent rating for left lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy and right lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy.
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