The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a medical opinion to distinguish between his service-connected depression and non-service connected syphilis, as well as to review VA examination records that did not consider the Veteran's entire medical history.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner was not provided with the complete claims file and did not review the Veteran's relevant medical history, which could affect their assessment of his service-connected depression.
- Claimed conditions
- Major Depression
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 7, 2012
- Citation
- 1238088
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 1238088.
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.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, Major Depression, and Panic Disorder due to his withdrawal of these issues prior to a decision being made.
- Denied
The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depression, is rated at 70 percent. The Board denied an initial evaluation in excess of 70 percent.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected major depression and anxiety disorder are considered part of his service-connected peripheral neuropathy, which already qualifies him for SMC(l). Therefore, he is not eligible for a higher rate of SMC.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for PTSD with major depression, finding that the Veteran's symptoms are related to his military service and resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the claimant.
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