The Board granted service connection for depressive disorder as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities and assigned a 50 percent rating for bilateral pes planus, while denying increased ratings for right knee limitation of flexion and right knee osteoarthritis.
The deciding factor: The evidence was in approximate balance regarding whether the Veteran has a current diagnosis of depressive disorder that is proximately due to or caused by her service-connected disabilities. The Board granted a 50 percent rating for bilateral pes planus based on extreme tenderness of plantar surfaces not improved by orthopedic shoes or appliances.
- Claimed conditions
- depressive disorder
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- October 25, 2024
- Citation
- A24068974
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 a disability rating of 50 percent for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, characterized as depressive disorder, effective May 1, 2017.
- Partly granted
The Veteran is granted service connection for migraine headaches secondary to tinnitus, effective April 1, 2021. The claim for an earlier effective date for depressive disorder was denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder to obtain a VA examination and etiological opinion.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis, left and right lower extremity radiculopathies, left and right hip pain, right knee degenerative arthritis, generalized anxiety disorder, and depressive disorder.
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