Depression decisions — 2020

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected tinnitus is denied as the disability has already been rated at its maximum under the applicable schedular criteria.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including unspecified depressive and personality disorders, persistent depressive disorder with major depressive episodes with anxious distress, is at least as likely as not etiologically linked to his active duty service. As such, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression, anxiety and PTSD, has been reopened. The Board has ordered the VA to attempt to verify the Veteran's in-service stressors and schedule him for a VA examination if they are corroborated.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, increased ratings for left foot and hand disabilities, and TDIU due to unresolved issues related to medical opinions and examination findings.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that the preponderance of evidence did not support a conclusion that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities caused or contributed to his death.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and development of his records.

The Veteran's depressive disorder is granted as secondary to his service-connected disabilities. Service connection for prostate condition is denied. For the rating period prior to February 20, 2007, a 40 percent schedular rating for lumbar spine disability is granted.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional examinations and analysis regarding his service-connected disability, depression, drug abuse, and TDIU claim.

The Board has remanded the case for a retrospective examination and an extraschedular TDIU evaluation due to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities from May 14, 2013 to July 30, 2014.

The Veteran's MDD has been rated at 50% for the period between December 10, 2009 and August 21, 2013. For the period between August 21, 2013 and September 23, 2019, a higher rating of 70% is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for depression secondary to the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hallux valgus and bilateral knee arthritis, with a compensable disability rating of 10 percent. The issues regarding increased ratings for bilateral foot scars, right foot hallux vagus, left foot hallux vagus, and effective dates prior to August 25, 2008 have been remanded.

The Board has denied a higher rating for major depression and has remanded the issue of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to psychiatric disability.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, but not higher, due to occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date than February 4, 2010, for a grant of service connection for depressive disorder was dismissed as a matter of law. The claim for an initial rating greater than 30 percent prior to April 13, 2015, and greater than 50 percent thereafter, for an acquired psychiatric disability other than PTSD, to include depressive disorder, must be denied.

The Veteran's PTSD with depression is currently rated at 70 percent, and the Board has determined that a higher rating is not warranted based on the severity of his symptoms.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, and entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to lack of substantial compliance with previous development requests.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, was granted service connection. The initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to March 29, 2019, and the initial 10 percent rating from March 20, 2019, were also granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for migraines, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and major depressive disorder have been reopened. The right hand disability and right knee disability claims are still pending.

The Veteran's claims for an acquired psychiatric disorder have been reopened due to the submission of new evidence.,The Veteran's claim for a tremor disorder has also been reopened due to the submission of new evidence.

The Veteran's psychiatric disability (unspecified depressive disorder) and his headache disability (tension headaches) are both granted as service-connected.