The Board is remanding the claims of service connection for alcohol abuse and mood disorder due to insufficient medical opinions and missing VA treatment records.
The deciding factor: The opinion provided by the August 2012 VA examiner did not address whether the Veteran's mental health condition caused his alcohol abuse, which is a critical factor in determining service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- alcohol abuse, mood disorder
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 24, 2018
- Citation
- 18105287
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 18105287.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for unspecified depressive disorder with anxious distress and alcohol abuse, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability or a link to active service.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's service-connected mood disorder is rated at 70 percent, and the Board denied a higher rating. The Veteran also sought TDIU based on his mood disorder and anxiety, which was granted.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for higher ratings for asthma and a mood disorder, as well as TDIU benefits, have been dismissed due to the Veteran's passing during the appeal process.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found a pre-decisional duty to assist error and remands the case for further development, including scheduling a VA examination.
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