The Board denied an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for unspecified major depressive disorder, finding that the September 2012 rating decision became final and no new evidence or intent to file a claim was received within one year prior to July 11, 2015.
The deciding factor: The Board found that relevant service department records existed but had not been associated with the claims file at the time of the prior denial in September 2012 and were considered in the January 1998 rating decision. Therefore, reconsideration under 38 C.F.R. § 3.156(c) was not triggered.
- Claimed conditions
- unspecified major depressive disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 25, 2025
- Citation
- A25038104
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 926 · Granted: 33% (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 A25038104.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development regarding the Veteran's claimed acquired psychiatric disorder and his entitlement to special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance. The issues are inextricably intertwined, so both must be addressed.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of medical opinions regarding all acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD. The Veteran should be provided with a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Granted
The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, claimed as depression, is granted service connection. The Board found that the current diagnosis of major depressive disorder was at least as likely as not related to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim of increasing his initial rating for service-connected unspecified major depressive disorder is being remanded due to the need to consider new evidence and readjudicate the case.
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