The Board denied service connection for an eye disability, a disability manifesting in abnormal weight loss, and increased ratings for depressive disorder with anxious distress, scarring alopecia and scarring, and painful, residual scars associated with scarring alopecia. The Board also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service connected disability.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not reach relative equipoise that the Veteran's claimed conditions were related to service or a service-connected disability.
- Claimed conditions
- depressive disorder with anxious distress, disability manifesting in abnormal weight loss, eye disability, painful, residual scars associated with scarring alopecia, scarring alopecia and scarring
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- February 26, 2025
- Citation
- A25017209
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,812 · Granted: 30% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation A25017209.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals were dismissed due to his death during the appeal process.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board has denied service connection for headaches, an eye disability, a respiratory disability (including allergic rhinitis and bronchitis), and a skin disability (porphyria cutanea tarda) as there is insufficient evidence to support these claims.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been received for the claim of service connection for headaches. The Veteran's supplemental claim is being remanded to allow for a VA examination and an updated opinion regarding the relationship between his headaches and his service-connected depressive disorder with anxious distress.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for the proposed reduction of facial scars, an increased rating for tinnitus, and service connection for migraines have been dismissed due to untimely filings or lack of good cause.
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