The Veteran's Major Depressive Disorder and Recurrent Tinnitus are granted as service-connected. The tinnitus claim is denied due to lack of evidence showing it was incurred during active duty.
The deciding factor: Service connection for MDD was established based on a positive nexus opinion linking the condition to military service, while service connection for recurrent tinnitus was denied due to lack of evidence showing onset within one year post-service and insufficient medical evidence linking current symptoms to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Major Depressive Disorder, Recurrent Tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 26, 2019
- Citation
- 19149922
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
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran was granted a disability rating of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder, effective October 24, 2017. The Board also granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability due to the need for a more comprehensive medical examination and opinion.
- Denied
The Board denied an initial disability rating in excess of 50 percent for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder prior to September 10, 2022, and in excess of 70 percent thereafter.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) effective July 20, 2021, but denied an initial disability rating in excess of 50 percent for obstructive sleep apnea.
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