The Board denied a rating in excess of 70 percent for the Veteran's major depressive disorder, recurrent, moderate including anxiety disorder and remanded claims for service connection for respiratory system disability and sleep apnea.
The deciding factor: The severity, frequency, and duration of the Veteran's symptoms did not more closely approximate total occupational and social impairment; instead, the severity, frequency, and duration of the Veteran's depression symptoms more closely approximate occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.
- Claimed conditions
- major depressive disorder, recurrent, moderate including anxiety disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- March 18, 2025
- Citation
- A25025045
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.
- Dismissed
The claim for an earlier effective date for service connection for major depressive disorder is dismissed as moot because the earliest effective date was granted during the pendency of this appeal.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple conditions, including an acquired psychiatric disorder, sleep apnea, hypertension, and various musculoskeletal and skin disabilities.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for right and left hip degenerative arthritis as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right ankle and knee conditions, and major depressive disorder as secondary to his service-connected knee and ankle conditions. The Board also granted a 10 percent rating for allergic rhinitis.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for major depressive disorder as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected tinnitus.
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