The Board denied an initial rating higher than 70 percent for a major depressive disorder with anxious distress and remanded the claim for service connection for a neck disability (also claimed as upper back pain).
The deciding factor: The Veteran's symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating, but a VA medical opinion was needed to determine if her neck disability is related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- major depressive disorder with anxious distress, neck disability (also claimed as upper back pain)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- October 23, 2025
- Citation
- A25091697
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 882 · Granted: 35% (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 A25091697.
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 granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for his acquired psychiatric disability, finding that it is at least as likely as not due to or the result of his other service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is denied because there is no evidence of current tinnitus symptoms during the review period.,The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for major depressive disorder with anxious distress is denied as his symptoms do not meet the criteria for a 100% evaluation due to lack of total occupational and social impairment.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected major depressive disorder with anxious distress.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's major depressive disorder with anxious distress, finding that it is at least as likely as not related to his active duty service. The decision resolves reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.
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