The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder of generalized anxiety disorder and depressive disorder, as secondary to the service-connected left ankle disability. Service connection was also granted for pseudofolliculitis barbae, and a 20 percent rating was assigned for left ankle achilles tendonitis from October 23, 2023.
The deciding factor: The private examiner's opinion that the current psychiatric disorder is likely secondary to the service-connected left ankle disability, along with evidence of symptoms beginning in service, supported the grant of service connection for pseudofolliculitis barbae and a higher rating for the left ankle disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Depressive Disorder, Pseudofolliculitis Barbae, Left Ankle Achille's Tendonitis
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- December 4, 2025
- Citation
- A25104340
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,200 · Granted: 43% (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 A25104340.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to failure to obtain records from Holly Hill Hospital. The Veteran was previously denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including GAD.
- Granted
The Veteran's GAD with PDD resulted in occupational and social impairment, warranting an initial rating of 70 percent.
- Denied
The Veteran's initial rating for service-connected GAD was denied, as his symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including GAD, MDD, bruxism, migraines/headaches, tinnitus, hip pain, iliotibial band syndrome, and leg stress fractures. The evidence does not support current diagnoses of these conditions during the appeal period.
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