The Board granted effective dates of May 19, 2022, for the assignment of a 30 percent evaluation for pseudofolliculitis barbae and for the grant of a total disability evaluation based upon individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU), and July 16, 2020, for the grant of service connection for major depressive disorder.
The deciding factor: The Board resolved reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran regarding the date entitlement arose for an increased rating for pseudofolliculitis barbae as May 19, 2022, based on continuous pursuit of the claim and evidence indicating symptoms may have been present from that date.
- Claimed conditions
- pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB), major depressive disorder (MDD), recurrent episode, moderate, with anxious distress and erectile dysfunction
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 1, 2025
- Citation
- A25102903
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 195 · Granted: 41% (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 A25102903.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
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 several service connection claims due to the need for additional medical records and examinations.,Service connection is denied for tinnitus.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has granted service connection for pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) and remanded the issues of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and hypertension.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the appeals for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, PFB, and an earlier effective date for service connection of PFB.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for painful pseudofolliculitis barbae scars is granted, and service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder and left ear hearing loss are both granted. The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for pseudofolliculitis barbae scars remains pending.
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