The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for clarification on whether he wishes to pursue a service connection claim for substance abuse as secondary to his service-connected PTSD with depression. If the Veteran wishes, an appropriate VA examination will be scheduled to determine if he has had a current diagnosis of substance abuse or a history of substance abuse at any time since January 2003 and whether it is at least as likely as not that such condition was caused or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD with depression.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's claim requires clarification on whether he wishes to pursue a secondary service connection for substance abuse. If the Veteran does, an appropriate VA examination will be scheduled to determine if he has had a current diagnosis of substance abuse or a history of substance abuse at any time since January 2003 and whether it is at least as likely as not that such condition was caused or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD with depression.
- Claimed conditions
- substance abuse, PTSD with depression
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 31, 2015
- Citation
- 1513860
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 1513860.
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.
- Granted
For the period prior to October 29, 2021, SMC under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s) based on housebound status is denied.,For the entire appeal period, SMC under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(l) based on need of regular aid and attendance is granted.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for memory loss and substance abuse, as well as dismissed appeals regarding an increase in rating for hypertension and a reduction in disability rating for IBS with GERD.
- Granted
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- Denied
The Board denied entitlement to earlier effective dates for a TDIU and DEA benefits, as the evidence did not show that the Veteran was unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to May 28, 2010.
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