The appeal for an effective date prior to September 7, 2016, for the grant of service connection for unspecified depressive disorder is dismissed.,The appeal for a rating greater than 30 percent for unspecified depressive disorder is dismissed. The Veteran's current level of occupational and social impairment does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
The deciding factor: The effective date appeal is dismissed because it is a freestanding claim, which cannot be pursued once an initial grant of service connection has become final.,The Veteran's depressive disorder currently does not result in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity. The symptoms are minimal and do not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
- Claimed conditions
- Depressive Disorder
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 10, 2024
- Citation
- A24054501
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 A24054501.
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
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 for PTSD has been dismissed as the claim was granted and effective from February 22, 2023.
- Granted
The Veteran's psychiatric disorder, specifically depressive disorder, is rated at 70 percent effective from August 3, 2021. The claim for a higher rating remains denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's service-connected Depressive Disorder is causing him to require regular assistance in keeping himself clean and presentable, which may qualify him for special monthly compensation based on need for aid and attendance. The case is being remanded to schedule a VA examination to assess this issue.
- Granted
The Veteran's depressive disorder is rated at 70 percent, effective from the date of service connection (January 23, 2020), due to occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.
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