The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to lack of substantial compliance with prior remand directives. The Veteran seeks service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including as secondary to his service-connected TBI. He also seeks a higher rating for his cervical spine strain.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not provide adequate opinions regarding the nature and etiology of all diagnosed psychiatric disorders on both direct and secondary bases, nor did they address functional impairment during flare-ups since June 2009.
- Claimed conditions
- anxiety, alcohol use disorder, mood disorder due to TBI, unspecified bipolar disorder
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 15, 2018
- Citation
- 18111503
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 18111503.
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 medical opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's psychiatric condition, including PTSD, depression, and anxiety. The Veteran is seeking service connection for these conditions.
- Granted
The Board has granted the claims for service connection for anxiety, depression, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD), finding that new and relevant evidence supports these claims.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood, along with alcohol use disorder, has been granted a 100% evaluation effective from April 8, 2021. The disability causes total occupational and social impairment.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, major depression, generalized anxiety disorder, insomnia and alcohol use disorder caused his sleep apnea.
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