The Board has granted service connection for Major Depressive Disorder as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral degenerative disc and joint disease.
The deciding factor: The evidence is at least in equipoise regarding whether the Veteran’s depression is proximately due to his service-connected back disability, thus granting service connection on a secondary basis.
- Claimed conditions
- Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), Lumbosacral Degenerative Disc and Joint Disease
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 6, 2020
- Citation
- 20065007
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include MDD, as secondary to service-connected disabilities due to a duty to assist error.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including GAD, MDD, PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and foot disabilities. The claim for NSC pension benefits was dismissed as moot due to a higher disability rating.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of June 21, 2024, for the award of service connection for major depressive disorder (MDD).
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of April 3, 1982 for the 70 percent rating for major depressive disorder (MDD), but denied an earlier effective date for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).
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