The Board granted a 70 percent disability rating for major depressive disorder with anxious distress and alcohol use disorder, but remanded the claims for increased ratings for lumbar strain and mild gastritis with reflux and grade A esophagitis.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's MDD symptoms caused occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, warranting a 70 percent rating. The other claims were remanded due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors regarding the use of medication on the severity of the disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) with anxious distress and alcohol use disorder, Lumbar strain, Mild gastritis with reflux and grade A esophagitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- May 23, 2025
- Citation
- A25046550
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of October 1, 1973, for the award of service connection for a lumbar spine disability but remanded the issue of entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 10 percent prior to April 4, 2022, and in excess of 40 percent thereafter.
- Granted
The veteran was granted a total rating based on individual unemployability due to a service-connected disability (TDIU) from April 28, 2017, and basic eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) as well as special monthly compensation (SMC) based on housebound criteria were established from the same date.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to January 7, 2021, as his service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to obtain and secure substantially gainful employment during that period.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for PTSD and a higher disability rating for lumbar strain, as well as service connection for eczema and a right hip condition.
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