The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, characterized as major depressive disorder, is granted service connection. The Board also remanded several issues related to secondary service connection for bilateral nerve damage condition of lower extremities, traumatic brain injury, bilateral nerve damage condition of hands, and bilateral hearing loss.
The deciding factor: The Board found the Veteran's current psychiatric and headache disorders had their onset during service or are otherwise etiologically related to an in-service injury, event, or disease. The Board concluded that the evidentiary record is at least in equipoise that the Veteran's psychiatric disorder had its onset in or is otherwise related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- major depressive disorder, bilateral nerve damage condition of lower extremities, traumatic brain injury, bilateral nerve damage condition of hands, bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 26, 2023
- Citation
- 23053444
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 23053444.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for specially-adapted housing assistance and a special home adaptation grant was denied because he does not meet the criteria for either benefit based on his service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, is being remanded due to the need for additional development regarding his alleged stressors.
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