The Board denied earlier effective dates for service connection and denied increased ratings, except for a 70% rating for major depressive disorder (MDD) from November 21, 2012, and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to MDD from the same date. The Board also granted special monthly compensation at the housebound rate from June 10, 2014.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support an earlier effective date for service connection or higher ratings for the other conditions, except for a 70% rating and TDIU for MDD due to its impact on employability. The Veteran's MDD alone precluded him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
- Claimed conditions
- headaches, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), hypertension, coronary artery disease (CAD), major depressive disorder (MDD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 23, 2025
- Citation
- A25054043
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 Board granted an effective date of October 21, 2021, for the grant of service connection for hypertension.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including prostate cancer and related disabilities, urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, hypertension, varicose veins, lumbar spine disability, hip arthritis, shoulder arthritis, ankle arthritis, knee strain, knee replacement, and hand arthritis. The only condition granted was a 10 percent rating for a fracture of the right proximal first metacarpal.
- Partly granted
The Veteran was granted a 70 percent initial disability rating for PTSD effective December 2, 2021, but the claim for an increased rating in excess of 70 percent was denied. The appeal also included claims for service connection and ratings for various conditions, some of which were granted while others were remanded.
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