The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to October 27, 2017 for the award of service connection for major depression was denied.,The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to October 27, 2017 for a 100% disability rating for gout is remanded due to the need to obtain private treatment records.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was no evidence of a formal or informal claim for service connection for depression prior to October 27, 2017. As such, an earlier effective date for service connection for major depression is not warranted.,A remand is required to obtain private treatment records related to the Veteran's gout between 2013 and October 27, 2017 in order to determine if there was a factually ascertainable increase in disability prior to the date of claim.
- Claimed conditions
- Major Depression, Gout
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 26, 2020
- Citation
- A20009305
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 A20009305.
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.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, Major Depression, and Panic Disorder due to his withdrawal of these issues prior to a decision being made.
- Denied
The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depression, is rated at 70 percent. The Board denied an initial evaluation in excess of 70 percent.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected major depression and anxiety disorder are considered part of his service-connected peripheral neuropathy, which already qualifies him for SMC(l). Therefore, he is not eligible for a higher rate of SMC.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for PTSD with major depression, finding that the Veteran's symptoms are related to his military service and resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the claimant.
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