The Veteran is seeking service connection for substance use disorders on a secondary basis to his service-connected PTSD. The Board has determined that another VA examination, by a different examiner, is needed to determine the nature and etiology of all acquired psychiatric disorders present during the period of the claim.
The deciding factor: The internal conflict in the November 2013 VA examination report requires further clarification regarding the Veteran's current degree of severity of his service-connected psychiatric disability and whether it renders him unemployable by itself.
- Claimed conditions
- Psychiatric disability other than posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Cannabis abuse, Alcohol abuse
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 22, 2014
- Citation
- 1432775
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 1432775.
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 appeal has been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder with alcohol abuse is at least as likely as not related to service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Dismissed
Your appeal for a higher rating for PTSD has been dismissed because the maximum possible rating (100%) was already granted in a previous decision.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various disabilities, including an acquired psychiatric disability, alcohol abuse, a liver disability, and hand and eye disabilities, as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to service or secondary to any service-connected condition.
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