The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's competency for VA disability benefits purposes. The RO must ensure all relevant records are obtained, including VA treatment records from 2002 onwards and a psychiatric examination is conducted.
The deciding factor: The decision requires additional evidence and an evaluation of the Veteran's current mental health status to determine his competency for VA benefit management.
- Claimed conditions
- Schizoaffective disorder, Cocaine dependence, Alcohol dependence, Marijuana dependence
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 11, 2013
- Citation
- 1307977
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 1307977.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and schizoaffective disorder, due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran. The case will be readjudicated with a focus on obtaining treatment records from UT Health San Antonio Transitional Care Clinic and obtaining a medical opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's psychiatric disorders.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided that new evidence supports the readjudication of the claim for service connection for a mental disorder, but dismissed appeals seeking compensable ratings for residuals of right hand 5th metacarpal fracture and left ear hearing loss. The case is remanded to determine if an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is related to service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date of July 9, 2009, for a 70% evaluation for PTSD with other specified depressive disorder, cocaine dependence, and marijuana dependence. The Board found that the increase in severity was factually ascertainable on this date.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, schizoaffective disorder, and alcohol use disorder, finding that the Veteran's in-service experiences qualify as a stressor event related to his mental health conditions.
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