The Board has remanded the case due to the AOJ's failure to conduct necessary development, including obtaining an opinion on whether any acquired psychiatric disability clearly and unmistakably existed prior to service and if so, whether it was aggravated by active service. The Veteran contends that his current schizoaffective disorder is related to in-service experiences.
The deciding factor: The AOJ failed to comply with the Board's remand instructions regarding an opinion on pre-existing acquired psychiatric disability and its relation to service.
- Claimed conditions
- schizoaffective disorder
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 28, 2019
- Citation
- 19106627
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 service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed alternatively as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder, due to an inadequate VA examiner's opinion and a failure to fulfill the duty to assist in obtaining relevant medical records.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an increased rating in excess of 70 percent for schizoaffective disorder to ensure proper notice and a new VA psychiatric examination.
- Granted
The Board granted an earlier effective date of December 10, 1985, for the grant of service connection for schizoaffective disorder based on newly received and relevant service department records.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include schizoaffective disorder and PTSD.
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