The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder. The new evidence submitted includes opinions from Dr. C.B., who opines that the Veteran's current mental health conditions are related to his in-service boxing injury, while Dr. K.B.'s earlier opinion suggested pre-existing psychological issues. A VA examination is needed to determine if any pre-existing conditions were clearly and unmistakably not aggravated by service.
The deciding factor: The new evidence includes opinions from a private physician (Dr. C.B.) who links the Veteran's current psychiatric disorders to his in-service boxing injury, while an earlier opinion from Dr. K.B. suggested that some of the Veteran's pre-existing conditions may have existed prior to service. A VA examination is needed to determine if any pre-existing conditions were clearly and unmistakably not aggravated by events in active service.
- Claimed conditions
- schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, schizotypical personality disorder, depression
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 14, 2012
- Citation
- 1238885
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 1238885.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder and PTSD. The Veteran will be asked to provide additional medical records and undergo a VA examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining in-service psychiatric treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any acquired psychiatric disorder.
- Denied
The Veteran's depression was rated at 50 percent prior to July 1, 2016. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating due to occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity. For TDIU, the Veteran had multiple service-connected disabilities but his education and work experience were sufficient for sedentary or light labor employment.
- Granted
The Veteran's depression was rated at 50 percent prior to September 27, 2017. From September 27, 2017, the rating for depression increased to 70 percent.
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