The Board denied the veteran's appeals for earlier effective dates for service connection for various conditions, as the claims were not filed within one year of the prior final denials.
The deciding factor: The April 2021 and June 2015 rating decisions were final, and the Veteran did not file a supplemental claim until January 26, 2024, which is the earliest possible effective date under the circumstances.
- Claimed conditions
- unspecified depressive disorder, patellofemoral pain syndrome, left knee, patellofemoral pain syndrome, right knee, residuals of excision of right wrist ganglion cyst, rotator cuff tendonitis, left shoulder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 30, 2025
- Citation
- A25039401
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.
- Granted
The Board granted a 70 percent rating for the Veteran's unspecified depressive disorder, finding that her symptoms more closely approximated those required for such a rating.
- Dismissed
The appeal concerning the service connection for various conditions and the propriety of a rating reduction has been withdrawn by the Appellant.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include major depressive disorder, mood disorder, and unspecified depressive disorder due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, variously diagnosed as unspecified depressive disorder and major depressive disorder.
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