The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence received after the issuance of a supplemental statement of the case, and additional development is needed including obtaining an opinion from a VA physician regarding the relationship between service-connected conditions and the Veteran's death.
The deciding factor: Additional medical evidence suggests a possible relationship between the Veteran's death and his service-connected psychiatric disability, but such evidence alone is not sufficient to grant the benefit sought on appeal. A medical opinion is needed to resolve this issue.
- Claimed conditions
- psychotic depressive reaction, anxiety reaction
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 15, 2012
- Citation
- 1209803
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 1209803.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected conditions have rendered him in need of regular aid and attendance, which is granted for special monthly compensation.
- Dismissed
The Board denied the Veteran's motions to reverse or revise prior rating decisions on grounds of clear and unmistakable error (CUE), finding no such errors in the March 1971 and August 2004 decisions.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for accrued benefits was denied because there was no pending claim at the time of his death, and the appellant did not file an informal claim or intent to apply for increased compensation for a service-connected condition.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to their death, and no final decision could be made on the merits of the claims.
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