The Board denied the Veteran's request for an effective date prior to August 16, 2022, for a 100% disability rating for major depression with anxious distress. The evidence did not show that his condition worsened within one year of the claim.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not demonstrate that there was an increase in the Veteran's psychiatric disorder to warrant a 100% rating prior to August 16, 2022.
- Claimed conditions
- Major depression, Anxious distress
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- October 30, 2024
- Citation
- A24070342
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,500 · Granted: 29% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation A24070342.
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 Veteran's somatic symptom disorder with depressive disorder, unspecified, and anxious distress resulted in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in areas of work, family relations, judgment, and mood. The Board granted an initial disability rating of 70 percent for this condition.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for major depression, finding that it is related to events of service. The evidence received since the prior denial supports this determination.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disability did not manifest by total occupational and social impairment, so the claim for a higher rating is denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder. The claim will be reconsidered with a new medical opinion.
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