The claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability is dismissed as the Veteran's claim was granted in a May 2023 rating decision. The effective date of July 15, 2019 for the grant of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (MDD, anxiety disorder, and alcohol use disorder) is granted. Service connection for a low back disability is denied. The claim for service connection for a cervical spine disability is remanded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's original claim for service connection was denied in October 2019 but new evidence was received to reopen the claim, leading to its grant in May 2023 with an effective date of July 15, 2019. The low back disability claim is denied as there is no current diagnosis and the Veteran did not provide any lay or medical evidence supporting his claim.
- Claimed conditions
- major depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, alcohol use disorder
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- March 4, 2026
- Citation
- A26019390
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 A26019390.
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
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 specially-adapted housing assistance and a special home adaptation grant was denied because he does not meet the criteria for either benefit based on his service-connected disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, is being remanded due to the need for additional development regarding his alleged stressors.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and increased rating for anxiety disorder have been denied. The Board found that there is no evidence of a current disability meeting the criteria for hypertension, and the Veteran's anxiety disorder does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder has been dismissed as the appellant requested withdrawal of the appeal.
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