The Veteran's claim for service connection for severe depression, which is secondary to his service-connected chronic lumbar strain, has been remanded due to the need for additional development and an addendum opinion from a VA examiner.
The deciding factor: The decision was not clear on whether the Veteran's depression was caused or aggravated by his service-connected lumbar spine disability. The Board requested an addendum opinion to address this issue.
- Claimed conditions
- severe depression
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 15, 2014
- Citation
- 1445561
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 1445561.
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 appeals for service connection of various psychiatric conditions, including substance abuse condition, alcoholism, bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder, and severe depression.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the claims for a compensable rating for headaches, an increased rating for PTSD and obstructive sleep apnea with asthma, as well as denied service connection for various conditions including allergies, bronchiectasis, nasal polyps, nausea, severe anxiety, severe depression, sexual dysfunction, suicidal ideations, and vertigo.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the service connection claim for PTSD and TDIU due to an inadequate VA examination report and the need for further development of evidence.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disability, including severe depression. The evidence did not show a current disability related to in-service events or diseases.
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