The Board has determined that the veteran's accounts of mortar attacks and seeing several comrades wounded during service are consistent with his combat status. The case is being remanded for a VA psychiatric examination to determine if any diagnosed psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, have their onset during service or are causally related to service.
The deciding factor: The Board has determined that the veteran's accounts of mortar attacks and seeing several comrades wounded during service are consistent with his combat status. The case is being remanded for a VA psychiatric examination to determine if any diagnosed psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, have their onset during service or are causally related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- PTSD, dysthymic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, depressive disorder, panic disorder with agoraphobia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 17, 2003
- Citation
- 0335569
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 0335569.
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 Board granted service connection for PTSD, generalized anxiety disorder, and somatic symptom disorder, as well as presumptive service connection for basal cell carcinoma under the PACT Act. Service connection was denied for chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, right restless leg syndrome, left restless leg syndrome, an increased rating for psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, a left forehead surgical scar, and allergic rhinitis.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's PTSD was granted a maximum disability rating of 100 percent effective December 12, 2022. The ratings for migraines and IBS with GERD were restored from noncompensable to their previous levels.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder to ensure a proper examination and etiology opinion are provided.
- Remanded (sent back)
The appeal is remanded to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors, including the failure to obtain relevant treatment records and provide adequate VA examinations.
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