The Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for service connection and an initial increased rating for adjustment disorder have been denied. The Board found that the criteria for these claims were not met.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating under the applicable VA rating schedule, as his symptoms did not warrant a rating of 50%, 70%, or 100% based on the severity and frequency of his psychiatric symptoms.
- Claimed conditions
- adjustment disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 6, 2026
- Citation
- A26031225
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 A26031225.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeal for erectile dysfunction and granted an earlier effective date of March 31, 2015, for a 50% evaluation of other specified trauma disorder.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied service connection for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity and remanded the claim for adjustment disorder. The Veteran's radiculopathy is not shown to be related to his military service, while his adjustment disorder may be related to civilian life.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, but has remanded the cases of left knee and lumbar spine disabilities.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for adjustment disorder, SMC-AA benefits, and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits was granted effective August 10, 2022.
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