The Veteran's claim for an effective date of August 19, 2013, for the grant of service connection for major depressive disorder is granted.,The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his major depressive disorder is denied. The symptoms do not meet or approximate the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 50 percent.
The deciding factor: The effective date was determined to be August 19, 2013, as new and material evidence was submitted after the initial denial.,The Veteran's symptoms did not meet or approximate the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 50 percent. The symptoms were considered mild and transient.
- Claimed conditions
- Major depressive disorder, Status post meningitis with residual headaches, Right knee strain, Degenerative joint disease of the left knee (left knee disability), Tooth pain
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- January 11, 2023
- Citation
- 23001937
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,170 · Granted: 38% (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 23001937.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right knee disability, finding that there was no nexus between his current condition and active duty service.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected major depressive disorder does not render him in need of regular aid and attendance or confined to his home, thus SMC based on housebound status and/or need for regular aid and attendance is denied.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) at the (o) rate and SMC at the (r)(2) rate, effective January 19, 2025. The decision finds that the Veteran's service-connected conditions warrant these awards due to his need for aid and attendance.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including major depressive disorder, as secondary to his already service-connected hearing loss and tinnitus.
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