The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for depressive disorder and bilateral knee conditions but granted separate 10 percent evaluations for left and right knee instability.
The deciding factor: The severity of the Veteran's symptoms did not more closely approximate occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, nor did they meet the criteria for higher ratings under applicable diagnostic codes.
- Claimed conditions
- Depressive disorder, unspecified, Patellofemoral pain syndrome, left knee, Patellofemoral pain syndrome, right knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 30, 2025
- Citation
- A25039529
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,081 · Granted: 38% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation A25039529.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's somatic symptom disorder with depressive disorder, unspecified, and anxious distress resulted in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in areas of work, family relations, judgment, and mood. The Board granted an initial disability rating of 70 percent for this condition.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's SMC claim was granted based on his service-connected disabilities, including major depressive disorder and multiple knee conditions. The effective date is set at February 24, 2018.
- Denied
The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's right shoulder and right ankle disabilities, as well as service connection for various other conditions.
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