The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for a depressive disorder, finding that her symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's symptoms were found to be reflective of occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks, which is consistent with a 30 percent rating under Diagnostic Code 9435.
- Claimed conditions
- depressive disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- October 30, 2024
- Citation
- A24070338
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board granted a disability rating of 50 percent for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, characterized as depressive disorder, effective May 1, 2017.
- Partly granted
The Veteran is granted service connection for migraine headaches secondary to tinnitus, effective April 1, 2021. The claim for an earlier effective date for depressive disorder was denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder to obtain a VA examination and etiological opinion.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis, left and right lower extremity radiculopathies, left and right hip pain, right knee degenerative arthritis, generalized anxiety disorder, and depressive disorder.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.