The Board has granted service connection for adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood, right knee arthritis, and left shoulder arthritis. Service connection for a right shoulder disability is denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's in-service alcohol abuse was a maladaptive coping mechanism that led to his current mental health condition, which the Board found to be related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Adjustment Disorder with Mixed Anxiety and Depressed Mood, Right Knee Arthritis, Left Shoulder Arthritis
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 26, 2026
- Citation
- A26007091
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 A26007091.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating prior to August 12, 2013 was denied as his right knee disability did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 5003.,The Veteran's claim for a higher rating from April 1, 2016 was denied as he is already receiving the maximum allowable disability rating of 60 percent for total right knee replacement.
- Granted
The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating of 70 percent for service-connected Adjustment Disorder with Mixed Anxiety and Depressed Mood is granted. The remaining issues are remanded for further evaluation.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate opinions in the current file, and thus the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability will be reconsidered with new evidence.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood, finding that his current condition is related to events during his military service.
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