The Board denied increased ratings for anxiety disorder, degenerative arthritis of the left shoulder, and seborrheic dermatitis as the Veteran's symptoms did not meet the criteria for higher disability ratings.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's symptoms more closely approximated those associated with a 30 percent rating for anxiety disorder, a 20 percent rating for degenerative arthritis of the left shoulder, and a 10 percent rating for seborrheic dermatitis, resulting in occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks.
- Claimed conditions
- anxiety disorder, degenerative arthritis of the left shoulder, seborrheic dermatitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 21, 2025
- Citation
- A25026771
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for depression, PTSD, and an anxiety disorder due to the lack of a current diagnosis.
- Partly granted
The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection for anxiety disorder and denied service connection for hearing loss. The claims for service connection for GERD, right ankle limitations, and sinusitis were remanded for further development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board dismissed the appeal for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability (TDIU) and remanded several issues related to increased ratings for various disabilities.
- Granted
The Board granted an earlier effective date for the 70 percent evaluation of anxiety disorder starting from January 16, 2022.
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