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
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 696 · Granted: 63% (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 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 has determined that the Veteran's headaches are at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected traumatic brain injury, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development of records and will provide a supplemental statement of the case if necessary.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.
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