The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to determine if he requires the regular assistance of another person in activities of daily living, protection from ordinary hazards, bedridden status, or restricted to home due to his service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The evidence indicates that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities have worsened and a new VA examination is needed to assess whether he requires aid and attendance or is housebound.
- Claimed conditions
- major depressive disorder with generalized anxiety disorder, degenerative disc disease, thoracolumbar spine with strain, right and left lower extremity radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 21, 2015
- Citation
- 1544837
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 1544837.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the appellant's claims for survivor's pension, DIC benefits, and accrued benefits. The decision found that her income exceeded the maximum annual pension rate (MAPR), did not establish a service-connected disability as the cause of death, and dismissed the claim for accrued benefits due to her status as a substitute appellant.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from obtaining and retaining substantially gainful employment since May 15, 2017.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding personal care services and supervision needed by the Veteran for eligibility in the PCAFC program.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbosacral strain, left lower extremity radiculopathy, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and major depressive disorder with generalized anxiety disorder (MDD with GAD) are being remanded due to a duty to assist error. The effective date for MDD with GAD is currently set at March 21, 2024, but the Board finds that an earlier effective date may be warranted if service connection can be established on a different basis.
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