The Veteran's initial claim for an increased rating for MDD was denied prior to March 11, 2019. The Board found the evidence did not support a higher than 50 percent rating.,From March 11, 2019, the Veteran's MDD was rated at 70 percent. The Board determined that this rating adequately reflected his symptoms and impairment.
The deciding factor: The Veteran’s MDD did not meet the criteria for a higher than 50 percent rating prior to March 11, 2019 as he had social and occupational impairment but it was not in most areas.,From March 11, 2019, the Veteran's symptoms were such that they met the criteria for a 70 percent rating as his MDD caused significant impairment in work and social functioning.
- Claimed conditions
- Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), Secondary Generalized Anxiety Disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 31, 2020
- Citation
- 20008264
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,249 · Granted: 37% (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 20008264.
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.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including GAD, MDD, bruxism, migraines/headaches, tinnitus, hip pain, iliotibial band syndrome, and leg stress fractures. The evidence does not support current diagnoses of these conditions during the appeal period.
- Granted
The Veteran's Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is found to have begun during their active duty service and continues to this day, meeting the criteria for service connection.
- Denied
The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder with TBI is rated at 70 percent, but the appeal for a higher rating is denied.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for her service-connected MDD with PTSD was denied. The evidence did not show total occupational and social impairment, despite the Veteran maintaining full-time employment.
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