The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date than February 4, 2010, for a grant of service connection for depressive disorder was dismissed as a matter of law. The claim for an initial rating greater than 30 percent prior to April 13, 2015, and greater than 50 percent thereafter, for an acquired psychiatric disability other than PTSD, to include depressive disorder, must be denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's request to reopen his previously denied claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability other than PTSD, to include depressive disorder, was not timely filed within one year of the May 2008 rating decision and became final. The AOJ assigned an earlier effective date of February 4, 2010, for the grant of service connection based on receipt of his request to reopen.
- Claimed conditions
- Depressive Disorder
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 24, 2020
- Citation
- 20006001
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,017 · Granted: 36% (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 20006001.
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection for PTSD has been dismissed as the claim was granted and effective from February 22, 2023.
- Granted
The Veteran's psychiatric disorder, specifically depressive disorder, is rated at 70 percent effective from August 3, 2021. The claim for a higher rating remains denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's service-connected Depressive Disorder is causing him to require regular assistance in keeping himself clean and presentable, which may qualify him for special monthly compensation based on need for aid and attendance. The case is being remanded to schedule a VA examination to assess this issue.
- Granted
The Veteran's depressive disorder is rated at 70 percent, effective from the date of service connection (January 23, 2020), due to occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.
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