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Remanded (sent back)

The Board previously denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for dysthymia, depressive reaction, and/or major depression. The Joint Motion to vacate found that the Board had erred by finding no in-service psychiatric treatment when the Veteran reported such treatment. As a result, the case is being remanded for further action including obtaining additional service medical records and conducting another VA examination.

The deciding factor: The Joint Motion identified an internal inconsistency between the Board's decision and its reliance on two VA medical opinions that did not consider in-service psychiatric treatment as described by the Veteran.

Claimed conditions
dysthymia, depressive reaction, major depression
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating assigned
None in this decision
Decision date
May 27, 2009
Citation
0919744

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 0919744.

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.

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