The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including schizophrenia, and entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU) because there are insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's psychiatric disorders. The case will be returned for further development.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the current opinions provided by VA examiners were inadequate and requested additional information from a new examiner.
- Claimed conditions
- schizoaffective disorder bipolar type, alcohol use disorder (in remission), cocaine use disorder (in remission)
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 30, 2018
- Citation
- 18145180
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 18145180.
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 a lack of a VA examination for the claimed acquired psychiatric disorder, and the need to determine its nature and etiology.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a higher rating and earlier effective date for PTSD was dismissed to foster proper adjudicatory processes before the agency of original jurisdiction.
- Partly granted
The Board denied an effective date prior to June 12, 2021 for the assignment of a 70 percent evaluation for schizoaffective disorder bipolar type and denied effective dates prior to June 12, 2021 for service connection for right knee instability and painful scars on the right lower extremity. However, it granted an effective date of August 24, 2020 but no earlier for TDIU and DEA benefits.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claim due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD. The case will be returned for a new examination and opinion from a clinician.
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