The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than August 31, 2012 for the grant of service connection for major depressive disorder is denied.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a right hand condition are both denied. Service connection for high blood pressure (hypertension) is also denied.,The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for his major depressive disorder is denied.
The deciding factor: There were no prior claims filed before August 31, 2012. The effective date must be the date of receipt of the claim or the date entitlement arose, whichever is later.,The Veteran does not have sufficient hearing loss in either ear to be considered a disability for VA compensation purposes. There was no evidence of current hearing loss at any time during the pendency of this appeal.,There is no probative evidence linking the right hand condition to service. The location of arthritis in his hands is different from the location of his in-service injury, and there is no indication that the Veteran's current right hand disability is related to military service.
- Claimed conditions
- major depressive disorder, bilateral hearing loss, right hand condition, high blood pressure (hypertension), left hand degenerative joint disease
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- January 5, 2024
- Citation
- 24000961
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 915 · Granted: 38% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 24000961.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: 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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