The Veteran was granted an initial increased rating of 70 percent for persistent depressive disorder prior to March 3, 2020, but the claim for a higher rating from that date onward was denied. Service connection was also denied for several other claimed conditions.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the evidence did not support an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for persistent depressive disorder and denied service connection for the other claimed disabilities based on the lack of competent and probative evidence linking them to active service or a service-connected condition.
- Claimed conditions
- Esophageal disability (claimed as difficulty swallowing), Left foot disability, Left hand disability, Persistent depressive disorder, Respiratory disability (claimed as difficulty breathing through nose), Right foot disability, Right hand disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- July 2, 2025
- Citation
- A25057231
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 699 · Granted: 12% (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 A25057231.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's right and left foot disabilities are currently rated at 10 percent each, but the Board found that they do not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for acne vulgaris is dismissed. Service connection for tinnitus is granted, but the left foot disability claim is remanded.
- Granted
The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including persistent depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, is found to have begun during service. Effective February 4, 2020, a 20% rating for right lower extremity radiculopathy is granted. The effective date of the separate 20% rating for left lower radiculopathy remains January 14, 2021.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for SMC(o) was denied as he could not receive multiple awards of SMC(l). The right shoulder bicipital tendonitis rating was denied, and the TDIU claim was granted.
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