The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for residuals of a head injury, but further development is needed to determine the current severity and manifestations of the Veteran's mood disorder.
The deciding factor: An additional VA examination is needed to ascertain the current severity and manifestations of the Veteran’s service-connected mood disorder.
- Claimed conditions
- Cognitive Disorder, NOS, Head Injury Residuals (claimed as Concussion or Syncope)
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 17, 2018
- Citation
- 18142809
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 18142809.
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 Veteran's PTSD did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 30 percent prior to August 28, 2016. The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 30 percent and granted a 70 percent rating from August 28, 2016 onward.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for cognitive disorder, a right thumb scar, and service connection for PTSD with alcohol use disorder are pending. The Board has remanded these issues due to the need for further development and examination. Additionally, the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is also pending as there are outstanding questions regarding its etiology.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his bilateral hearing loss and PTSD. The case is being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the severity of the Veteran's PTSD, including whether a cognitive disorder is related to his service-connected PTSD or is a separate condition.
- Denied
The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including depression and cognitive disorder, were not caused by service or any aspect of it. The Board denied service connection for PTSD due to lack of diagnosis.
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