The Veteran's appeal for an evaluation in excess of 70 percent for MDD with PTSD was denied. The Board also remanded the issues of service connection for ECD and TDIU due to procedural errors.
The deciding factor: There were procedural errors in the March 2019 rating decision, including a duty-to-assist error regarding the service connection claim for ECD and an incorrect standard applied to reopen the TDIU claim.
- Claimed conditions
- Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Erdheim-Chester Disease (ECD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 24, 2019
- Citation
- A19002274
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 remands the claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include MDD, as secondary to service-connected disabilities due to a duty to assist error.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including GAD, MDD, PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and foot disabilities. The claim for NSC pension benefits was dismissed as moot due to a higher disability rating.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of June 21, 2024, for the award of service connection for major depressive disorder (MDD).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, as it needs a medical opinion addressing the nature and etiology of the condition prior to October 16, 2023.
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