The Board granted service connection for major depressive disorder with alcohol use disorder, finding it to be proximately due to the Veteran's service-connected generalized headaches and tinnitus.
The deciding factor: The July 2023 VA examiner opined that the Veteran's major depressive disorder was secondary to his service-connected generalized headaches and tinnitus, and this opinion was given equal probative weight with other examiners' opinions.
- Claimed conditions
- major depressive disorder with alcohol use disorder
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- April 2, 2025
- Citation
- A25030710
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection, increased rating, and TDIU due to incomplete evidence.
- Denied
The Board denied an earlier effective date for the grant of a 70 percent disability rating for major depressive disorder with alcohol use disorder, as the evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran's symptoms more nearly approximated the criteria for a 70 percent disability rating prior to July 29, 2024.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for major depressive disorder with alcohol use disorder, finding no evidence of a psychiatric injury or disease during service and no relationship between the current disability and any injury or disease during service.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of April 21, 2022, for the award of service connection for major depressive disorder with alcohol use disorder.
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