The Board has determined that the effective date for a 70 percent rating for service-connected panic disorder with agoraphobia and history of major depression is September 19, 1996. The earlier effective date for TDIU benefits is denied as there is no evidence showing the veteran was rendered unemployable due to her service-connected disabilities in the year preceding the filing of her claim.
The deciding factor: The earliest indication that the veteran's service-connected psychiatric disability increased in severity was on September 19, 1996. There is no evidence from the year prior to September 29, 1997 showing the veteran was rendered unemployable due to her service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- panic disorder with agoraphobia and history of major depression
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- May 7, 2003
- Citation
- 0308644
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,196 · Granted: 17% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 0308644.
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
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