The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disabilities, specifically Major Depressive Disorder. The case is now pending for an addendum opinion from a VA examiner.
The deciding factor: The opinions provided by previous VA examiners are inadequate and do not clearly articulate the rationale underlying their conclusions.
- Claimed conditions
- Major Depressive Disorder, Alcohol Use Disorder, Gambling Disorder
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 8, 2019
- Citation
- A19001809
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.
- Granted
The Veteran was granted a disability rating of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder, effective October 24, 2017. The Board also granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability due to the need for a more comprehensive medical examination and opinion.
- Denied
The Board denied an initial disability rating in excess of 50 percent for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder prior to September 10, 2022, and in excess of 70 percent thereafter.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's service-connected PTSD with alcohol and cocaine use disorder was granted an increased initial rating of 100 percent, the schedular maximum. The claim for an earlier effective date prior to August 24, 2023 for the now-assigned 100 percent rating for PTSD was denied.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.