The Veteran's claims for service connection were granted in January 2017, with the effective date set at April 11, 2014. The appeals for earlier effective dates prior to this date are denied.,All five conditions (major depressive disorder, bilateral pes planus, lumbosacral strain, cervical strain, and right ankle sprain) were granted service connection in the January 2017 rating decision.
The deciding factor: The effective date for all grants of service connection has already been set at April 11, 2014, which is the day after discharge from active duty.
- Claimed conditions
- Major depressive disorder, Bilateral pes planus, Lumbosacral strain, Cervical strain, Right ankle sprain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 13, 2023
- Citation
- 23066075
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 23066075.
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.
- 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for cervical strain, service connection for left leg pain (claimed as joint pain), and service connection for a left ear hearing condition are being remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.
- 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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