The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his psychiatric, left shoulder, and left shoulder scar disabilities as the evidence did not support a higher disability rating.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not show occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity or worse for the psychiatric disability, limitation of motion of the minor extremity to 25 degrees or less from the side at any time during the appeal for the left shoulder disability, or painful or unstable scars or an area greater than 144 square inches for the left shoulder scars.
- Claimed conditions
- Persistent depressive disorder with anxious distress and pure dysthymic syndrome, Recurrent left shoulder dislocations with instability and small degenerative cyst in the humeral head, Left shoulder scars
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- October 7, 2025
- Citation
- A25086399
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,911 · Granted: 10% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation A25086399.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his bilateral knee disorders and low back disorder, prevented him from obtaining and maintaining gainful employment consistent with his education and experience. The Board found that the combined effects of these conditions made it impossible for the Veteran to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability.,The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for left shoulder scars was also denied due to lack of painful or unstable scars.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
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