The Board denied an earlier effective date for service connection for somatic symptom disorder with predominant pain, as the request was not timely filed.
The deciding factor: The claimant did not file a supplemental claim or request higher-level review within one year of the initial denial and did not submit a timely extension request due to COVID-19.
- Claimed conditions
- somatic symptom disorder with predominant pain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 4, 2025
- Citation
- A25019530
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,549 · Granted: 26% (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 A25019530.
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: Granted
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating and TDIU due to his service-connected somatic symptom disorder with predominant pain, to include alcohol use disorder, is granted. The effective date remains May 23, 2024.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied a compensable rating for the service-connected tenia pedis and onychomycosis bilateral feet, denied earlier effective dates for increased ratings and service connection, and remanded several claims for further development.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied an initial evaluation in excess of 70 percent for somatic symptom disorder with predominant pain, generalized anxiety disorder, and major depressive disorder, finding that the Veteran's symptoms did not more closely approximate total occupational and social impairment.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disabilities, including major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, are rated at a 70 percent disability rating effective November 18, 2019. The Board also granted entitlement to TDIU based on these conditions but denied the claim for TDIU due solely to service-connected acquired psychiatric disabilities.
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