The Veteran's claims for service connection for IBS and major depressive disorder were granted, but the effective dates are denied.,Service connection was granted for a low back disability (degenerative arthritis, intervertebral disc syndrome, spinal stenosis, and spondylolisthesis).,The Veteran's claim for lattice degeneration with atrophic holes is also granted.
The deciding factor: Reasons for the denial of earlier effective dates include the finality of previous denials and lack of a formal or informal claim prior to November 21, 2017.,Service connection was established based on direct evidence showing a link between service and the diagnosed conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Major Depressive Disorder, Degenerative Arthritis, Degenerative Disc Disease, Spinal Stenosis, Spondylolisthesis of the Lumbar Spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 24, 2026
- Citation
- A26026463
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 A26026463.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 70% disability rating. The Veteran also met the criteria for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
- Granted
The Veteran's major depressive disorder is found to be caused by his service-connected low back and radiculopathy disabilities, which prevent him from doing enjoyable activities and daily living tasks.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for an increased rating for PTSD and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a new VA examination.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's erectile dysfunction is secondary to his service-connected major depressive disorder, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
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