The Board granted a 50 percent rating for PTSD with MDD from December 24, 2013, but denied an initial rating greater than 30 percent prior to that date and also denied an earlier effective date for DEA benefits.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's symptoms did not more nearly approximate occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity until December 24, 2013, warranting a 50 percent rating from that point forward.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 18, 2025
- Citation
- A25053419
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,044 · Granted: 21% (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 A25053419.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted a TDIU effective August 13, 2024, based on his service-connected PTSD with MDD.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD with MDD may have resulted in total occupational and social impairment prior to October 16, 2024. However, there is insufficient medical evidence of record to make a proper determination on this issue as previous VA mental health examinations did not provide necessary information concerning occupational and social impairment or consider the Veteran's spouse's report.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal for an increased disability rating for PTSD with MDD was denied, and the Board has remanded the case to consider a TDIU claim. The decision also found that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for a total social impairment due to her PTSD.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD with MDD prior to March 8, 2021 is being remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. A retrospective VA examination is needed to assess the severity of his symptoms during the relevant period.
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