The Board has remanded the case to determine if the appellant was insane at the time of offenses leading to his discharge, which could affect his eligibility for VA benefits based on character of discharge. The AOJ is instructed to obtain a forensic psychiatrist's opinion and readjudicate the issues.
The deciding factor: The decision is remanded due to the need for an appropriate opinion from a forensic psychiatrist regarding the appellant's mental state at the time of offenses leading to his discharge.
- Claimed conditions
- insanity
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 17, 2017
- Citation
- 1704998
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 1704998.
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 case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether M.B. was insane at the time of his offenses leading to his discharge from service, and if so, whether this insanity should bar VA benefits.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has reopened the claim of whether the character of the appellant's discharge constitutes a bar to VA benefits due to new and material evidence. The case is remanded for further development, including obtaining complete service records and a medical opinion regarding the appellant’s mental state during service.
- Granted
The Board found that the appellant was insane at the time of his offenses, which lifted the regulatory bar to VA compensation benefits.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service personnel records and requests for further investigation.
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