The Board remands the issues of entitlement to a rating higher than 30 percent for major depressive disorder (MDD) before November 9, 2021, and a rating higher than 70 percent for MDD after November 9, 2021, as well as entitlement to special monthly compensation based on the need for the aid and attendance of another and total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities before November 9, 2021, for additional development.
The deciding factor: Remand is necessary to obtain an addendum medical opinion to determine the severity of the Veteran's service-connected MDD as the previous opinions are inadequate.
- Claimed conditions
- major depressive disorder (MDD)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 20, 2025
- Citation
- 25006865
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 772 · Granted: 31% (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 25006865.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim of service connection for dizziness, TBI, MDD, and anxiety disorder is granted as new evidence has been received. The claims are remanded to obtain VA examinations.
- Granted
The Veteran's major depressive disorder is related to her military service, and the Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for earlier effective dates for service connection and TDIU was granted, with the effective date set at September 27, 2018.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD with MDD and middle insomnia are granted as service-connected. The left ankle, lumbar spine, and right ankle disabilities are also granted as service-connected. However, the Veteran's migraines, bilateral shins (tibialis posterior tendinitis), stomach pain, nausea, queasiness, and bilateral foot disabilities remain denied.
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