The Board has determined that the case must be remanded to determine if the veteran would have been entitled to a 100% disability rating for PTSD prior to his death, which could potentially allow the appellant to receive DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318.
The deciding factor: The Board found that current caselaw requires consideration of whether the veteran hypothetically would have been entitled to a different decision on service connection for PTSD prior to his death, based on evidence in the claims folder or before VA at the time of his death.
- Claimed conditions
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Post-operative septectomy with deviated septum
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 17, 2000
- Citation
- 0010218
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 0010218.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's PTSD was granted a 70 percent rating prior to March 7, 2022, while other claims were denied.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD and GAD, as well as tinnitus.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, as it needs a medical opinion addressing the nature and etiology of the condition prior to October 16, 2023.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities.
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