The Board has determined that the earliest possible effective date for service connection and a rating of 100% for major depressive disorder is April 4, 2001. The veteran's claim was reopened in April 2001 when he submitted a response to a PTSD questionnaire, which VA interpreted as an application to reopen his psychiatric disorder claim.
The deciding factor: The effective date of the grant of service connection for major depressive disorder is governed by the rules related to claims that are reopened with new and material evidence. The earliest possible effective date is April 4, 2001, which is when VA received the veteran's application to reopen his claim.
- Claimed conditions
- Major Depressive Disorder
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 25, 2008
- Citation
- 0824956
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 0824956.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for a 70 percent disability rating for his psychiatric disorder, including PTSD with MDD and anxiety, has been granted. However, the issue of entitlement to Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) is remanded due to procedural issues.
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