The Board granted a 50 percent rating for an acquired psychiatric disability and a 20 percent rating for a right shoulder disability, but remanded the claims for increased ratings in excess of 10 percent for right shoulder trapezius strain and external hemorrhoids, as well as service connection for lupus.

The deciding factor: The Veteran's symptoms more closely approximated the criteria for a 50 percent rating for an acquired psychiatric disability and a 20 percent rating for a right shoulder disability during the appeal period.

Claimed conditions

other specified depressive disorder with cannabis use disorder, moderate, to include unspecified anxiety disorder (acquired psychiatric disability), right shoulder disability, right anterior shoulder scar status post rotator cuff repair

How they argued it

Direct service connection

Exposure basis

None

Rating assigned

50%

Decision date

February 4, 2025

Citation

A25010031

Want to see how appeals like this one tend to go? Appeals like mine