Depression decisions — 2024

The Veteran's appeal for an effective date prior to November 7, 2019, for the grant of service connection for tinnitus is denied.,The Veteran's appeals for service connection for PTSD and an acquired psychiatric disability other than PTSD (to include depression) are remanded.

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to a duty-to-assist error. The examiner is required to provide an opinion on whether any of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities contributed substantially and materially to his death.

The Board has denied service connection for PTSD due to the lack of verified in-service stressors. Service connection for hypertension is granted based on presumptive exposure to herbicide agents.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD and chronic kidney disease, post-transplant, secondary to hypertension are remanded as there are procedural errors.

The appeal for service connection for major depressive disorder with anxious distress and anxiety with insomnia is dismissed. The proposed finding of incompetency is also dismissed. The claim for service connection for a chronic headache disorder is remanded.

The Board has remanded the claim of entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) on an extraschedular basis prior to August 1, 2023 due to failure to substantially comply with the Board's October 2023 remand directive.

The Veteran's depressive disorder due to chronic pain syndrome with major depressive like episode is rated at 70% effective May 19, 2020.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates for various service-connected conditions have been dismissed due to the appellant's withdrawal of her appeals.

The Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disability (persistent depressive disorder with generalized anxiety disorder) prevented them from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment, and the Board granted TDIU based on this finding.

The Veteran's claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 and service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability are remanded due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 100% effective from August 24, 2015. The earlier effective date for a 100% evaluation for PTSD is granted.

The Board has granted the appellant's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to his service-connected disabilities, which prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the case due to a failure to obtain a VA medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's death by suicide may be linked to his in-service psychiatric symptoms.

Your appeal to increase the rating for PTSD with major depressive disorder and alcohol use disorder has been dismissed because it was improperly docketed under the AMA. The Veteran already had a pending legacy appeal, so this new appeal is not valid.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of major depressive disorder as secondary to his service-connected bilateral varicose veins is granted, with an effective date of July 21, 2004.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD and depression due to insufficient evidence verifying the Veteran's claimed in-service stressor event, specifically a helicopter crash during active duty.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to duty-to-assist errors in previous decisions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to April 24, 2020. As of April 24, 2020, the criteria for a TDIU were met.

The Veteran's service-connected major depressive disorder with substance abuse disorder required hospital treatment in a VA facility for more than 21 days during the period from March 25, 2021 to June 25, 2021. The Board granted a temporary total evaluation based on this requirement.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder is rated at 50 percent, the maximum schedular rating. The Board finds that his symptoms do not warrant a higher rating as they are consistent with the current 50 percent rating.

The Board has remanded the case due to a duty to assist error and requests that the AOJ attempt to locate and associate any outstanding enlistment examination records with the Veteran's file.