The Board granted service connection for a right hip disability, to include as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right knee disability, and denied an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for depressive disorder with severe alcohol use disorder.
The deciding factor: The evidence was at least in equipoise regarding the nexus between the Veteran's current right hip strain and his service-connected right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome. For the increased rating claim, the symptoms did not meet or more nearly approximate the criteria for a higher disability rating under the General Formula for Mental Disorders.
- Claimed conditions
- Right hip disability, Depressive disorder with severe alcohol use disorder
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- October 29, 2025
- Citation
- A25093991
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 916 · Granted: 40% (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 A25093991.
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.
- Dismissed
Your appeal of the March 28, 2025 rating decision that deferred adjudication of your right hip disability claim has been dismissed.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for his lumbar spine and right hip disabilities due to a duty to assist error. The effective date for DEA benefits is granted as May 1, 2014.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right hip disability due to insufficient evidence regarding its etiology and pathophysiology, as well as the need for an appropriate toxic exposure risk activity (TERA) examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including low back, left hip, right hip, left shoulder, and right shoulder disabilities. The VA examinations did not provide adequate opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.