The Veteran is seeking service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, specifically depression, claimed as secondary to his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities. The Board has determined that remand is necessary due to the need to obtain additional medical records and provide addendum opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's psychiatric disorders and his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities.
The deciding factor: The claims file does not contain all relevant treatment records, including those from Cambridge Hospital where the Veteran received mental health treatment prior to 2010. Additionally, remand is necessary for an addendum VA medical opinion that addresses each diagnosed psychiatric disorder of record and determines whether it is at least as likely as not related to active duty service or caused by his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- {"condition_name":"schizophrenia","diagnoses":["unspecified schizophrenia","psychosis NOS","schizophrenia paranoid type"]}, {"condition_name":"adjustment disorder unspecified"}
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 3, 2019
- Citation
- 19100111
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for right lower extremity sciatica associated with the Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral spine strain, but remanded claims for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and sleep apnea.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his lung cancer was related to his service-connected melanoma.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for anxiety but denied it for sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's sleep apnea was less likely than not related to his active service or service-connected acquired psychiatric condition.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for migraine headaches as proximately due to the Veteran's service-connected tinnitus.
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