The Board denied earlier effective dates for service connection and DEA eligibility, and remanded claims for TDIU, SMC based on housebound status, and lumbar disability.
The deciding factor: The evidence of record does not support an earlier effective date due to the statutory requirements for such awards. The Veteran's claims are being remanded for further development and consideration by the AOJ.
- Claimed conditions
- Depressive disorder, not otherwise specified, with unspecified anxiety disorder, Lumbar disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 17, 2025
- Citation
- A25053131
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the Veteran's claims for additional VA examinations to properly evaluate the current severity of her disabilities.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's depressive disorder was granted a 70 percent disability rating from April 27, 2020 to August 15, 2022, and a TDIU was also granted.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of July 14, 2020, for the grant of service connection for IVDS with spinal fusion and lumbar disc disease with stenosis, as well as associated radiculopathy of the sciatic and femoral nerves of the left and right lower extremities, and depressive disorder.
- Granted
The Board granted earlier effective dates for the award of increased ratings for a lumbar disability and lower extremity radiculopathies, effective August 4, 2022.
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