The Board has determined that additional development is needed to obtain the Veteran's complete service treatment records, specifically those from his Reserve unit. The VA also needs to obtain private mental health treatment records and provide a VA psychiatric examination to address the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and TDIU.
The deciding factor: The Board finds that additional development is needed as the Veteran's complete service treatment records, including those from his Reserve unit, have not been obtained. The private mental health treatment records are also missing, which could provide important context to the claims. Additionally, a VA psychiatric examination is necessary to address the issues of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and TDIU.
- Claimed conditions
- anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 13, 2017
- Citation
- 1726961
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 1726961.
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 the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder and PTSD. The Veteran will be asked to provide additional medical records and undergo a VA examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining in-service psychiatric treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any acquired psychiatric disorder.
- Denied
The Veteran's depression was rated at 50 percent prior to July 1, 2016. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating due to occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity. For TDIU, the Veteran had multiple service-connected disabilities but his education and work experience were sufficient for sedentary or light labor employment.
- Granted
The Veteran's depression was rated at 50 percent prior to September 27, 2017. From September 27, 2017, the rating for depression increased to 70 percent.
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