The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 30 percent for MDD with GAD prior to October 25, 2017 was denied. The claim for TDIU prior to this date was also denied.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 9434 (General Rating Formula for Evaluating Psychiatric Disabilities Other Than Eating Disorders).
- Claimed conditions
- Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- November 23, 2020
- Citation
- 20074799
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
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 an acquired psychiatric disorder including a generalized anxiety disorder as the evidence did not support a finding that such condition was incurred in or aggravated by active military service.
- 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).
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