The Veteran's service-connected major depressive disorder was granted a 70 percent evaluation, effective March 20, 2018.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's symptoms more closely approximated the symptoms associated with a 50 and 70 percent rating for depression, resulting in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.
- Claimed conditions
- Major depressive disorder, recurrent, moderate with anxious distress
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- March 2, 2026
- Citation
- A26018268
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 A26018268.
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 the case due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error, requiring additional medical opinions on direct service connection and secondary service connection.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the claim for service connection for PTSD as there is no remaining controversy with respect to this issue, and the Veteran is already compensated for his psychiatric symptoms through the award of major depressive disorder.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issues of entitlement to an initial rating higher than 70 percent for service-connected major depressive disorder, recurrent, moderate with anxious distress and traumatic brain injury (TBI), as well as the claims for service connection for Fuchs' corneal dystrophy, left and right eyes, and cervicogenic headaches, for further development.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date of June 1, 2022, for a 100 percent disability rating for her acquired psychiatric condition. The effective date is based on the date she submitted her VA Form 21-8940 application for increased compensation.
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