The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for a 50 percent rating for Major Depressive Disorder and for increased ratings, finding that there was no evidence of an increase in disability within one year prior to December 31, 2014. The TDIU claim was also denied as the Veteran did not meet the criteria for unemployability due to his service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The effective date for increased ratings is determined by when it is factually ascertainable that an increase in disability had occurred, and given the evidence, no such increase was found prior to December 31, 2014. The Veteran's claims were denied as there was insufficient evidence of a pre-existing increase in his Major Depressive Disorder.
- Claimed conditions
- Major Depressive Disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 12, 2018
- Citation
- 1822303
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 1822303.
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.
- 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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